As Formula One gears up for the start of a highly anticipated season on 8th March in Australia, the sponsorship machine is already in motion.
To keep you updated on the latest developments, BlackBook Motorsport brings you this week’s commercial news from across the grid.
Alpine
Partner: Indra Group
Designation: Official partner
Duration: Multi-year
Details: The company’s artificial intelligence (AI) platform IndraMind will be incorporated into the team’s ecosystem. The technological partnership will facilitate real-time analysis and correlation of the vast volumes of data generated during each race weekend, aiming to optimise Alpine’s decision-making and outcome analysis.
Aston Martin
Partner: Celsius
Designation: Official global energy drink partner
Duration: Multi-year
Details: Celsius trades Ferrari for Aston Martin ahead of the 2026 season and this deal will focus on promoting the brand’s fitness campaign to a global audience. The ‘Live. Fit. Go.’ campaign was launched in the US, Canada, and Australia last year and is set to expand into further markets in 2026. The two parties will kick this partnership off with a co-hosted run challenge at the Australian Grand Prix.
Audi
Partner: Piquadro
Designation: Official luxury luggage partner
Duration: Multi-year
Details: Piquadro will supply the team with a range of high-performance luggage and backpacks. The deal concluded a big commercial push ahead of the launch of Audi’s first car earlier this week, with four other agreements unveiled the week prior with NinjaOne, Hyatt, Nexo and Gillette.
Cadillac
Partner: Tenneco
Designation: Official technical partner
Duration: Multi-year
Details: With General Motors (GM) planning to construct its own power units in the future, Tenneco will provide products, systems and engineering support, including advanced powertrain and ignition technologies to boost performance, reliability and dependability. Tenneco’s engineers will also work closely with Cadillac to integrate these technologies into the team.
Ferrari
Partner: Whoop
Designation: Official health and fitness wearable partner
Duration: Multi-year
Details: Whoop devices will be made available to members of the team to support the monitoring and understanding of key factors linked to physical health and wellness. Ferrari’s medical team will also work closely with Whoop to analyse data related to sleep, stress and recovery, with the aim of enhancing staff performance and improving recovery.
Haas
Partner: Fix Network
Designation: Official partner
Duration: Multi-year
Details: The deal will focus on fan engagement, with a particular emphasis on the brand’s home race in Canada. Fix Network branding will be visible on the Haas car, team garage and team kit, as well as the racesuits of Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman, alongside digital assets.
Partner: Ruckus Networks
Designation: Official networking partner
Duration: Multi-year
Details: Ruckus Networks will deliver its network solutions to the team’s facilities in Kannapolis, Banbury and Maranello. It will also provide race day network operations which will allow Haas to deploy an advanced engineering solution. Ruckus will also outfit the Haas hospitality suite in the paddock to deliver seamless Wi-Fi for the team’s guests.
McLaren
Partner: Hedera
Designation: Official partner
Duration: Multi-year
Details: The partnership, which also covers McLaren’s IndyCar entry, will connect real-world racing environments with Web3 infrastructure to deliver new fan engagement experiences and officially licensed digital activations. McLaren’s first use case on Hedera will be a digital collectibles programme, which will include a series of free-to-claim collectibles released during Grand Prix weekends.
Partner: OneFlight International
Designation: Official private aviation partner
Duration: Multi-year
Details:McLaren will leverage OneFlight’s expertise and travel solutions during the season. The global aviation company’s branding will also be present on the cars and racesuits of reigning world champion Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Partner: Puma
Designation: Official team kit and apparel partner
Duration: Multi-year
Details: Puma will produce kit for McLaren’s teams across Formula One, IndyCar, the World Endurance Championship (WEC), F1 Academy, and sim racing. The German sportswear giant will also produce replica and lifestyle collections, and the pair will collaborate on immersive fan experiences, such as special events and product drops – the first of which will debut at the Australian Grand Prix.
Mercedes
Partner: Microsoft
Designation: Principal partner
Duration: Multi-year
Value: Around US$60 million per year
Details: This wide-ranging deal will see Microsoft Azure and its AI capabilities used to enhance Mercedes’ data tracking. The technology will also allow the team to quickly test new parts without waiting for new on-premises infrastructure. Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) will enable Mercedes to scale computing power depending on demand, resulting in technological advancements while ensuring compliance with financial regulations. In addition, the team will expand its use of Microsoft 365 to enhance operational efficiency across the business.
Partner: Nu
Designation: Official partner
Duration: Multi-year
Details: The collaboration will focus on Nu’s core markets in Brazil, Mexico and Colombia, while expanding the brand’s reach across Latin America, the US and other strategic markets. The partnership will look to deliver a range of dynamic on-track and off-track branding and activations designed to create memorable experiences for fans.
Partner: Zuma
Designation: Official lifestyle and dining curator
Duration: Multi-year
Details: This marks the first time a global lifestyle restaurant brand has partnered with a Formula One team. Zuma, along with other restaurant brands from the Azumi restaurant group, will be present at the Monaco, Silverstone, Madrid and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix, with additional locations to be confirmed at a later date. The collaboration will also extend to Mercedes’ hospitality offerings in Miami and Las Vegas, and play a key role in celebrating Zuma’s 25th anniversary in 2027.
Red Bull
Partner: Clear
Designation: Official haircare partner
Duration: Multi-year
Details: The shampoo brand enters Formula One for the first time and will adorn the cars and race balaclavas of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar. Parent company Unilever had a more technical deal in place with McLaren for the past six seasons. The new partnership will focus on markets in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and Latin America.
Williams
Partner: Nuveen
Designation: Official asset management partner
Duration: Multi-year
Details: The partnership will provide visibility for investment firm Nuveen, which manages US$1.4 trillion in public and private assets for clients around the world. Nuveen’s branding will be displayed above the steering wheel and on the inner rear wing of the cars of Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon.
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