F1’s most lucrative title sponsorships including Red Bull’s £390m Oracle deal

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Eight of the 10 teams on the Formula 1 grid have struck title sponsorship deals. McLaren and Williams are the only exceptions.

World champions Red Bull are partnered with computer software company Oracle after previous tie-ups with Infiniti and Aston Martin. Mercedes, meanwhile, have a long-term arrangement with Petronas, who also supply their fuel.

Ferrari have taken a leaf out of their rivals’ book after striking a deal with computing giants HP in April. That has led to rare the appearance of a blue logo on the scarlet red car.

In the midfield, Aston Martin have close links with state-owned Saudi oil company Aramco, while Alpine market water treatment specialists BWT. Sauber are in the unique position of holding two title sponsorships, one with online casino Stake and the other with streaming service Kick.

The Red Bull junior team, previously known as Toro Rosso and AlphaTauri, was renamed Visa Cash App RB for this year. And finally, Haas, whose short-lived deal with Uralkali secured a seat on the grid for Nikita Mazepin, are now partners with MoneyGram, who also provide financial services.

Red Bull’s Oracle deal beats Ferrari HP tie-up

The table below shows how much each of these teams reportedly net from their title sponsorship agreements. In addition to being the largest in F1, Red Bull’s Oracle deal is one of the biggest in sport full stop.

That’s perhaps no surprise when you consider the success the team have enjoyed in recent years. Over the course of their five-year agreement, Christian Horner’s team stand to net £390m.

Ferrari aren’t too far behind in second, with Mercedes third. Predictably, there’s then a huge drop-off in the midfield, which reflects the reduced visibility.

All five midfield deals occupy roughly the same price bracket. Lawrence Stroll is pouring £783m into Aston Martin as he seeks to make them championship contenders and, in turn, a much more attractive commercial proposition.

McLaren boss Zak Brown explains why title partnerships are ‘dangerous’

These agreements carry risks, particularly for teams towards the back of the grid. Teams must remain wary in the face of eye-watering offers.

Zak Brown says McLaren recognise the ‘dangerous’ trap, 10 years on from their split with Vodafone. In his eyes, it’s all too easy to become dependent on the associated revenue, which creates vulnerability.

Claire Williams struggled to ‘keep the lights on’ when ROKiT failed to make the payments they had promised. She had to put her family’s team up for sale, leading to Dorilton’s takeover in 2020.

Even without a title sponsor, Williams seem to be their strongest financial position for a generation. That’s partly why they were able to attract an A-list driver like Carlos Sainz to partner Alex Albon for next year.