Since Liberty Media took over Formula 1 the series have attracted more United States companies as official partners, for the 2021 World Championship.
Some seventy Stateside sponsors are on board, making up almost 30 per cent of all partners. The premier global motorsport series has been able to keep a strong partnership network despite of the challenging COVID-19 landscape.
Spomotion Analytics have analyzed the 2021 Formula 1 partnership network and found new industries attracted to the sport at the highest level, with an unrivalled international sporting footprint.
Crypto and blockchain company Socios, from Malta, is official partner of both Alfa Romeo and Aston Martin. Crypto.com online platform is a partner of Aston Martin while Turkish blockchain company Bitci Technology have partnered up with McLaren.
New to the series are also Zoom, partnering up with Formula 1 series, and Cisco Webex, a new McLaren partner.
The series, including all ten teams, have been able to keep a strong partnership network in 2021. Some companies have left but there are also many new ones. More than 30 per cent of the newcomers are US-based.
An interesting newcomer is Shark Tank profile Robert Herjavec and his Herjavec Group.
Rebranded Aston Martin have had the most significant restructuring of the partnerships network in 2021, compared to 2020, when 12 companies left and 14 new appeared on the car.
New main partner is US it-giant Cognizant. Mexican driver Sergio Perez moving from Racing Point, now Aston Martin, to Red Bull have caused a movement also of Mexican Slim family money from Aston Martin to Red Bull when Telcel and Claro are new Red Bull partners.
Haas, with the tiniest partnership network, took a risk signing two newcomer drivers Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin. From a commercial point of view the move seems to have paid off.
Mazepin took Russian fertilizer company Uralkali to the team. German telecom company United Internet have also found its way to Haas and Formula 1, putting 1 & 1 and Ionos branding on the car.
With US-company Dorliton Capital owning Williams the team have found new partners form the US.
Second on the list of companies and home countries is UK, with almost 40 official partners in the series. Third is Italy with around 20 partners. Germany have also around 20 partners in Formula 1. There are 16 Swiss companies and 15 Japanese companies in the 2021 Formula 1 series.
Perhaps somewhat surprising is that Chinese companies are not active in Formula 1. Energy company Weichai Power, Scuderia Ferrari partner, is an exception. (Report by Björn Stenbacka)