A rival team has launched some strong criticism at the partnership formed between HP and Scuderia Ferrari, focusing on a specific detail that could also appear on the upcoming SF-26.
The Prancing Horse recently signed a major deal with HP, making the tech giant the Title Sponsor of Scuderia Ferrari. Such a high-profile role inevitably affects not just the team’s merchandising but also the car’s design. Now, however, controversy has emerged directly from a rival team, which has openly criticized some of Ferrari’s choices.
When HP joined Ferrari, we saw the beautiful rear wing, which previously featured the white ‘Ferrari’ logo, replaced with white stripes that carried the Title Partner logos. Later, the company wanted the logo replicated and enlarged on the engine cover and other areas of the SF-24. For the SF-25, a wide white band was added to the engine cover to prevent the HP blue from clashing with the red of the car. However, for some critics, this decision didn’t quite work.
“We are very focused on design and everything must be consistent”
Speaking on the matter, Antoine Le Nel, Chief Marketing Officer of Revolut, Audi’s sponsor, said in an interview with Business Sport: “No offense, but I think what HP and Ferrari did to their cars isn’t positive from a design standpoint. How can you put blue on a red car? It doesn’t work. Audi quickly became the preferred choice. The alignment between our brands was immediate. Ferrari is extremely premium, just like Aston Martin or McLaren. But Audi represents a more accessible luxury, closer to the people. And that’s something we really identify with.”
Clearly, the color combination is not ideal. It is interesting, though, how HP also appears on Real Madrid’s kit but blends seamlessly without standing out in bright blue, integrating smoothly with the overall design. Revolut aimed to achieve the same with Audi, as every F1 Title Partner tries to do. Could HP appear in a different color in 2026? Many hope so, as the criticisms from a rival team might give Ferrari something to think about.
“For us, the brand is fundamental. We are very focused on design, and everything must be coherent. Credit goes to Mastercard with McLaren, and also Google Chrome. In those cases, the integration works really well. Storytelling is extremely important. Audi is entering one of the toughest sports in the world starting from scratch and building everything in-house. That is exactly what we are doing as well,” Le Nel concluded.
As Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc prepare to represent the Scuderia in the 2026 era, the debate over the “HP Blue” continues. Whether Ferrari will listen to these external critiques and refine their visual identity for the SF-26 launch remains to be seen, but the pressure to maintain a “premium” aesthetic has never been higher.
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