Sponsorship has always been an integral part of F1. In 1968, Team Gunston became the first brand to place its logo on a Brabham car. It was entered into the 1968 South African Grand Prix. In a world where products have their own teams, and in a digital age, sport sponsorship has become much more than just a logo on a vehicle.
Embracing Immersive Content
The marketing adage goes that content is king, and it remains more relevant than ever before. Yet it is much more than just posting videos and updates to socials. Content needs to involve and engage fans in ways it never did before.
A great example of this has been Red Bull Racing’s series, known as Decoded. This has been a partnership with Oracle, the cloud computing service. It has shown fans how it is being used to drive performance by running simulations based on real-world analytics.
Exploring Existing Verticals in New Forms
There has already been a shift into iGaming sponsorships, with some major global brands having their names both trackside and on cars. Yet there is still so much more that could be done. For example, branded games are now extremely popular, especially in the casino slots vertical. These allow people to play cash games, and just like casual mobile gaming has sponsored sports events, there is no reason the biggest slots could not do this.
This also works the other way. It is a great area in which companies like Ferrari could license their property. A host of F1-themed slots and crash gaming titles are already available. Yet just like the NBA and NHL, which have moved into the field, the whole property could be used. Even sportspeople like Frankie Dettori have had their own slot games, and there is no reason this could not be a revenue stream for retired drivers.
Storytelling as Marketing
F1 has also burst out of the track and its social media bubble to dominate streaming services. It has been no coincidence that over the last few years, a host of top-quality movies and documentaries have emerged about the sport. Think 2024’s Senna, or 2023’s Ferrari.
When it comes to documentaries, the one on everyone’s lips was the Netflix documentary Drive to Survive. Its appeal was that it provided something seldom seen in F1, which was the human side of the sport. Hidden behind helmets and tucked into cars, this is very often a side lacking.
Since then, there have been plenty of documentaries on the sport. This has totally rebranded its image, and is something that must be explored in further detail. As streaming services begin to provide products in new ways, blurring the line between televisual experience and gaming, F1 could do well to follow suit.
Thus, F1 sponsorship has plenty more avenues to explore. There has never been a better time to branch out, even forming smaller partnerships with companies that may not traditionally have had the budget to engage with motorsports. This can increase brand awareness, placing F1 on a stage akin to that of the Premier League and NBA
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