The 2025 Formula 1 season was exceptional, but the 2026 season will take F1 to a level we have never seen before – not because of sporting spectacle alone, but because of what it represents commercially.
The mere fact that two new major manufacturer teams, Audi and Cadillac, will line up on the grid at Albert Park in Australia on 8 March already makes the season extraordinary.
At its core, 2026 marks the point at which F1 fully establishes itself as a long-term, investable business ecosystem. That distinction matters. It is the difference between short-term sponsorship cycles and structural capital commitment.
Spomotion Analytics has analysed the sponsor and partnership networks of F1 teams over the past five years. Our data extends back to 2018, providing coverage of nearly nine years in total. What it shows is not just growth, but a clear shift in the type of companies choosing to invest in the sport and the way they do so.
F1 is undergoing a transformation that began in 2017 with Liberty Media acquiring the sport. Since then, F1 has evolved into the most professional and business-oriented sport in the world.
This evolution explains why major automotive manufacturers such as the Volkswagen Group, General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and Renault are investing heavily ahead of the 2026 regulations.
These companies are not entering for exposure alone; they are committing capital because they now see predictability, governance and long-term return.
Another clear indicator of F1 becoming “investable” is the growing role of the financial sector. Financial institutions have emerged as one of the strongest partner categories, led by Goldman Sachs, NASDAQ, the Carlyle Group, Visa, Mastercard and American Express.
In a landmark move, Mastercard will step up as the official naming partner of the reigning World Championship-winning team McLaren in 2026. Naming rights at that level are not speculative bets – they reflect confidence in stability and brand safety.
Fintech represents another important growth sector in F1. One notable recent exit is MoneyGram, whose three-year agreement with Haas marked the first major title partnership in the team’s history.
Companies are not entering for exposure alone; they are committing capital because they now see predictability, governance and long-term return.
Björn Stenbacka
That partnership has now been replaced by Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR). While different in nature, the shift illustrates an important point: teams are no longer reliant on a narrow pool of sponsors. They are able to replace partners without undermining financial continuity.
Few would have predicted Revolut becoming the title partner of the Audi F1 team. Yet Revolut has rapidly grown into one of Europe’s most valuable fintech companies and is widely expected to pursue an IPO – potentially as early as 2026. The global exposure provided by the Audi F1 partnership plays directly into that ambition, underlining how F1 is now used as a platform for corporate strategy, not just marketing.
Measured by number of partners, the consumer sector remains the largest in F1. According to Spomotion Analytics, more than 40 percent of all partners are consumer brands, while 23 percent are technology companies. French luxury conglomerate LVMH has entered the sport with seven different brands. This is not brand experimentation – it is proof of concept at scale.
When total partner revenue is compared, technology clearly dominates. Tech companies account for 66.2 percent of total partner revenue, compared to 33.8 percent for consumer brands. This imbalance highlights where the financial weight of the sport now sits.
Apple, the new exclusive U.S. broadcast partner of F1, is the latest member of the “Magnificent Seven” technology companies to enter the sport. Amazon, Alphabet and Meta are already involved.
Nvidia is also high on the wish lists of several teams, with rumours suggesting a potential entry as early as 2026. The AI boom in F1 gained real momentum in 2024, although the first AI partnerships were announced as early as 2022. McLaren, the team with the highest number of technology partners, introduced DataRobot as an AI partner that year.
Several AI partnerships announced in 2025 involve smaller companies and start-ups. This represents a notable shift, with teams increasingly willing to collaborate with young technology firms to gain access to specialist expertise and innovation. F1 is no longer reserved solely for established global corporations; it is becoming a testbed for emerging technology.
It remains early to identify all changes within team partnership networks for 2026. February is traditionally the busiest month for announcements: in 2025, nearly 30 partnerships were announced during that month alone, likely a new record.
Some meaningful shifts have already occurred. Ferrari, for example, appears to have replaced energy drink brand Celsius with Monster Energy, while luxury brand Giorgio Armani and Danish audio company Bang & Olufsen have exited the partnership network.
The Armani agreement, announced in 2021, was a four-year deal. Ferrari has also added crypto partner BingX, marking its return to the crypto sector following the end of its Velas partnership in 2022.
The total number of partners in F1 reached 350 in 2025, setting a new record. The number of U.S.-based partners also hit an all-time high.
Spomotion Analytics estimates that total F1 team sponsorship revenue reached approximately $2.6 billion in 2025, excluding technical and licensing partnerships.
Looking ahead to 2026, the number of partners is unlikely to rise significantly. Leading teams such as Mercedes-AMG, Scuderia Ferrari and Oracle Red Bull are deliberately limiting portfolio size in favour of quality and value.
Sponsorship values are expected to increase moderately, while competition for premium categories will intensify with the arrival of two new manufacturer teams.
The financial gap between smaller and larger teams remains substantial. However, smaller teams are increasingly generating value and operating profitably. This may represent the most important shift of all: a championship in which both large and small teams can achieve long-term financial stability.
That, ultimately, is what makes 2026 different.
