F1 definitely sells cars and create brand awareness. Its advertising.
Are you suggesting that companies which spend millions on putting their names on F1 cars, are wasting their money?
Yes and they know it, go back and read the figures when renault won two world titles on the trot. The guy in charge wanted to pull out citing the sales figures prior to winning two titles and during and after the titles.
It did nothing for their sales in that time. They already had brand awareness and were never going tooo crack america mo matter how many titles they win.
Ferrari will sell every car they want to without being in F1.
BMW's sales didn't change despite sucking in F1.
Honda and Toyota stinking the joint up does nothing for sales, a media report on dodgy brakes does far more damage.
F1 has so little impact on car sales and brand aweness anymore, there is far more media to encourage us on brands and reliability. TV and magazine and the internet. F1 has miniscule effects on anyone buying a car.
Especially for supercar manufacturers. Porsche still sell every car they ever want to make as would Ferrari without F1.