Paddy McNally

Patrick Sean McNally (born 20 December 1937) is a British businessman, former racing driver, and socialite. He was chief executive of Allsport Management, a Swiss-based company which controlled Formula One advertising and hospitality via the Paddock Club.

Patrick McNally
McNally at the 1971 Monaco Grand Prix
Born	Patrick Sean McNally (1937-12-20) 20 December 1937 (age 87) Gravesend, Kent, England
Nationality	British
Occupations	Businessman racing driver journalist socialite
Years active	1963–2011
Known for	Formula 1 and association with Sarah, Duchess of York

Early life

McNally was born on 20 December 1937 in Gravesend,^[1][2] the son of G/Capt. Patrick McNally, a Royal Air Force officer, and Mary Deane Outred.^[3][4] He grew up in County Monaghan, Ireland, and was educated at Stonyhurst College where he excelled as a rugby player and boxer. His father was a relative of racing driver Redmond Gallagher.^[4] He initially worked in London as a Grand Prix reporter.^[5][6]

Career

Beginning his career as a motorsports journalist for Autosport magazine, McNally was also involved in sports car racing himself in the 1960s.^[7] Residing in Lausanne, Switzerland, he then worked for Philip Morris's Marlboro as a sponsorship consultant.^[5][6] Later he was a driver manager of Niki Lauda and James Hunt, respectively.^[8]

McNally began working with Bernie Ecclestone in the late 1970s.^[6] In 1984, he set up Allsport Management SA, a company which provided corporate hospitality and trackside advertising for Formula One events.^[9] Based in Geneva, Allsport and related Allsopp Parker & Marsh (APM), registered in Ireland,^[10] owned the trackside advertising rights at Formula One circuits and operated the Formula One Paddock Club, the Grand Prix hospitality provider.^[11][12][13]

In March 2006, he sold Allsport Management to CVC for an estimated £300 million.^[14][15][16] He remained chief executive until 2011, when he announced his retirement.^[17][18][19]

McNally, along with Ecclestone and Max Mosley, is considered a principal architect of modern Formula One.^[20]

Personal life

McNally dated Sarah Ferguson between 1982 and 1986; after refusing to marry her she ended up wedding Prince Andrew, Duke of York.^{[21][22][3][23][24][25]} The pair remain close friends.^[26] Another notable romance was with Finnish fashion model Nina Rindt.^[21]

McNally has been noted for his social prominence in the Swiss ski resort Verbier, where since 1980 he has owned several chalets locally referred to as "the Castle" or "Cocaine Castle".^{[27][28][29][30][31]} He is the owner of Sevenhampton Place, Wiltshire, the former home of James Bond author Ian Fleming. In 2004, the property was burgled.^[32][33]