Creators whose online identities center around Formula 1 racing have been changing their handles lately, and they seem to be reluctant to say why. But the reason may be because they\u2019re being asked to by F1 itself, who\u2019s rumored to have been sending cease and desist orders to certain creators with monetized accounts that use its branding.<\/p>\n
Among the abrupt branding changes was Paddock Project (formerly F1r the Girls), an F1 fan podcast. Paddock didn\u2019t mention receiving a cease and desist letter when announcing the change<\/a>, instead writing that the new name \u201creflects where we are and where we\u2019re headed.\u201d<\/p>\n F1 influencer Mikaela Kostaras, who also recently changed her name (from \u201cshelovesf1\u201d to \u201cshelovesvrooms\u201d) seemed to hint at receiving a cease and desist order in a video<\/a> asking viewers to \u201cimagine\u201d being told they can\u2019t give away tickets they bought, something she\u2019s recently done<\/a>. Replying to a comment on the video, she said, \u201cThere\u2019s a reason everyone is rebranding rn and it\u2019s not just for funsies.\u201d<\/p>\n F1 commentator Toni Cowan-Brown said in a video<\/a> that she\u2019s been \u201chearing rumblings\u201d about the cease and desist letters for \u201cat least the last six months.\u201d She added that Formula 1 is targeting those \u201cwho are using F1 in their branding and who are capitalizing on it,\u201d as well as creators who pretend to somehow be associated with the organization.<\/p>\n Formula 1 did not immediately respond to The Verge\u2019s request for comment.<\/p>\n Cowan-Brown contrasted the approach to the NBA, which doesn\u2019t really go after those who post NBA content online, even when that content includes actual footage from games. League commissioner Adam Silver once said<\/a> that \u201cfor the most part, highlights are marketing.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, Formula 1 has been especially aggressive in protecting its branding in the past, including when it sent a \u201cstack of legal letters<\/a>\u201d to star driver Lewis Hamilton demanding that he stop posting F1 clips to social media. Later, Liberty Media acquired F1 and relaxed guidelines<\/a> that forbade drivers and teams from posting clips from the paddock.<\/p>\n