Despite not winning an F1 championship title since 2007, Ferrari is still in pole position when it comes to commercial revenue from its sponsorship deals
Mercedes has dominated on the race track in recent years, taking home the last five constructors’ championship titles – but, off the tarmac, Ferrari tops the table for the F1 team that extracts the most revenue from its sponsors.
The ten Formula 1 constructors signed a total of 229 sponsorship deals with 191 companies ahead of the 2019 world championship.
The combined value of these commercial deals is estimated to be worth up to $1.19bn (£900m), according to sports analytics company Sportcal.
Conrad Wiacek, head of sponsorship at Sportcal, says: “Ferrari not only has the highest number of commercial partnerships in the sport – with 31 – but it also generates the most revenue from those deals.
“It confirms that, while F1 is evolving, the traditional brands are still the main drivers when it comes to securing commercial revenue.”
Almost a fifth of deals are made with automotive companies, while technology companies (17.98%), and industrial goods and services companies (14.04%) are also popular partners for F1 teams.
Mr Wiacek adds: “With access to an active and engaged fanbase, it is perhaps no surprise to see 21 different industries represented in the list of sponsors, from the traditional sectors like automotive and technology right through to charities and healthcare partners trying to reach a typically affluent, slightly older audience.
“However, with Liberty Media [the owners of Formula 1] prioritising attracting a younger audience, the development of social media channels will be crucial to maintaining this momentum.”
F1 team sponsors: Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari leads the grid in terms of revenue from sponsorship deals, having secured 31 agreements with a total value of $255m to $285m (£192m to £215m).
Due to restrictions on tobacco advertising, introduced in 2008, the team’s title sponsor Philip Morris is no longer unable to promote its brands such as Marlboro on the car.
That sponsorship deal alone is worth an estimated $160m (£120.5m) per season.
Ferrari’s partnership with Shell is the oldest in the history of the sport, stretching back to the 1930s, and will retain a branding spot on the nose of the car for the 2019 championship.
The constructor’s three new sponsors for the upcoming season are Eightcap, Laszmoe and Vistajet.
F1 team sponsors: Mercedes
After winning five consecutive constructors’ championships, Mercedes is capable of attracting evermore lucrative sponsorship deals.
The total value of its 24 deals for the 2019 season are estimated to be worth between $135m and $165m (£102m to £124m).
Title sponsor Petronas remains the same but two new deals, with beverage brand Seedlip and cyber security brand CrowdStrike, were completed in the close season.
F1 team sponsors: Aston Martin Red Bull Racing
Aston Martin Red Bull Racing is set to earn between $110m and $140m (£83m to £105m) from its sponsors this season.
The Milton Keynes-based team has a total of 25 active deals, but the Red Bull deal is thought to be worth $100m (£75m) alone.
FuturoCoin will be the first ever cryptocurrency to have its branding featured on the F1 track after signing a deal with the constructor team in February 2019.
F1 team sponsors: McLaren
Despite McLaren’s decision to go without a title sponsor for the previous six seasons, its sponsorship deals will still bring in an estimated $90m to $120m (£68m to £90m).
Three new brands will have their logo featured on the McLaren car alongside the 23 previous sponsors.
Woking-based McLaren has partnered with British American Tobacco (BAT) but will instead feature the phrase “A Better Tomorrow” – representing the company’s “portfolio of potentially reduced risk products” – in attempts to get around tobacco advertising bans.
However, the BAT branding will not be allowed to feature on the car for the opening race in Australia.
F1 team sponsors: ROKit Williams Racing
Mobile phone manufacturer ROKiT replaces Martini as the title sponsor of Williams Racing, in a deal valued at $20m (£15m).
The total revenue from the 18 sponsorship deals is estimated to be $85m to $105m (£64m to £79m).
The nationalities of the Oxfordshire-based team’s drivers – which include Poland’s Robert Kubica and Canada’s Nicholas Latifi as reserve driver – have helped to attract sponsors from new countries.
These include Polish oil company Orlen and Canadian food company Sofina.
F1 team sponsors: Toro Rosso Honda
Red Bull and Honda are the co-title sponsors for the Toro Roso team this year, while Wings for Life is the charity sponsor.
Despite being yet to win a constructors’ title, the team has been able to attract a total of 12 sponsors worth between $60m and $90m (£45m to £68m).
Toro Roso has fewer sponsors in comparison to the other F1 teams, which Sportcal claims is an attempt to make “car ‘retail space’ left at a premium” and increase the prominence of the main sponsor, Red Bull.
F1 team sponsors: Renault Sport
Renault is another team to avoid having a title sponsor – instead, the 28 sponsors are divided between main partners, team partners and suppliers.
The collective revenue from the deals has an estimated value of $55m to $85m (£41m to £64m).
The team has been without a title sponsor since 2009, when ING terminated its contract early following the “Crashgate” controversy, in which the team reportedly ordered a driver to deliberately crash.
F1 team sponsors: Alfa Romeo Racing
Fiat-owned Italian car brand Alfa Romeo will replace Sauber as the title sponsor for this year’s competition.
The new arrangement will reportedly see Alfa Romeo Racing make an extra $34.26m (£25.81) per year over the next two seasons.
With 11 new sponsors, the constructor now has partnership deals with a total of 25 sponsors, which are set to earn it between $45m and $75m (£34m to £48m).
It’s one of two teams to feature a charity sponsor, with Alfa Romeo partnering with Save the Children.
F1 team sponsors: SportPesa Racing Point
Kenyan gambling company SportPesa has become the first online betting platform to seal a title sponsorship agreement after striking a deal with Force India.
The team car will sport a new pink and blue livery, and will mark the first time the Force India name hasn’t appeared on the F1 grid since 2008.
The SportPesa deal is valued at $12.5m (£9.4m), while the total revenue from sponsorship is estimated to be $45m to $75m (£34m to £48m) – including the second title sponsor water treatment company BWT.
F1 team sponsors: Rich Energy Haas
With only ten sponsors, worth an estimated $30m to $50m (£23m to £38m), Rich Energy Haas comes bottom of the list, in terms of sponsor earnings.
The team, which was established by the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series co-owner Gene Haas, has a new title sponsor for the 2019 season.
The team car will sport the gold and black livery of the British energy drink brand Rich Energy.
Doubts were raised over the legitimacy of the new title sponsor, due to the fact the drinks brand remains relatively unknown, having formed only six years ago, and its failed bid for F1 team Force India.
In response, Rich Energy CEO William Storey said: “Ultimately, we’ve just produced 90 million cans.
“As far as I’m concerned, saying it doesn’t exist is like saying man never walked on the moon, or Elvis is still alive. It’s just fantasy.”