- Barclays adds to recent partnerships with London Spirt and Hampden Park
- Anthropic’s Claude AI will be used to debug code, analyse dense research and build new products
The Williams Formula One team have signed a multi-year deal with British bank Barclays, as well as an artificial intelligence (AI)-focused partnership with Anthropic.
Barclays will be the team’s official banking partner, marking its first-ever partnership in Formula One. This deal adds to the firm’s sponsorship portfolio, which already includes the Premier League, the Women’s Super League (WSL), Wimbledon, and Lord’s Cricket Ground.
More recently, Barclays has secured the naming rights to Hampden Park, Scotland’s national soccer stadium, in a deal reportedly worth UK£1 million (US$1.3 million) per year and become the principal partner of The Hundred franchise London Spirit.
A key attraction for Barclays in Formula One is the large proportion of younger fans – 43 per cent of whom are under 35, according to Williams. The bank’s branding will feature prominently on this season’s Williams car, as well as the helmets of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz, team clothing, and throughout the team’s trackside garages and hospitality.
“We are delighted to welcome Barclays into the sport as official banking partner to Atlassian Williams F1 Team,” said James Vowles, team principal of Williams.
“As we prepare for one of the most significant regulatory changes in Formula One history, we’re preparing to seize the opportunities of the new era together with Barclays as we continue investing for long-term success.”
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“Our partnership with Atlassian Williams F1 Team will deepen our client engagement and elevate our brand across our key markets as we grow our investment banking and private banking and wealth management relationships,” said Stephen Dainton, president of Barclays Bank.
“Working with one of the most storied teams in Formula One brings unparalleled global visibility. Barclays has long been one of sport’s most committed corporate partners – from the Premier League and the Women’s Super League to Lord’s, Wimbledon, NBA Brooklyn Nets and WNBA Liberty – and we pair those world stage platforms with major investment in community and grassroots sport. It’s this combination of elite performance and local impact that defines our approach.”
Meanwhile, Anthropic’s pact will see its AI programme Claude become Williams’ official thinking partner, with branding to also feature on the cars, driver apparel and team kit.
Claude can be used to debug reams of code, analyse dense research and build new products. The technology will be utilised to support how Williams thinks, plans and performs across race strategy, car development and operations.
“We are thrilled to welcome Anthropic to Atlassian Williams F1 Team and Claude as our official thinking partner,” said Vowles.
“At a time when our team is on a journey to the front, this partnership is an opportunity for us to show what’s possible when you combine elite human talent with the right frontier models. We know that there are no shortcuts to success and look forward to working with Anthropic to continue building long-lasting performance.”
Mike Krieger, co-lead of Anthropic Labs, added: “Formula One is ultimately about the pairing of human endeavour and technical excellence. I’ve watched Atlassian Williams F1 Team find ways to punch above their weight for years, that’s exactly the kind of team Claude is built for.”
The two deals continue the recent commercial push from Williams, which has seen deals signed with BNY, Sparco, Wilkinson Sword, and Nuveen. The team also agreed an extension to its long-term partnership with Kraken.
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