A playground for partners – F1’s evolving commercial model

Formula 1’s commercial model is moving beyond the traditional boundaries of trackside sponsorship. 

While the circuit remains central to the sporting product, the commercial opportunity now extends far beyond the on-track action.  

Race weekends have developed into multi-day events where music, food, technology and fan engagement sit alongside the racing, creating a more diverse environment for brands to operate within. 

Speaking at the BlackBook Motorsport Forum in London, Jonny Haworth, Director of Commercial Partnerships at Formula 1, outlined how the sport is shifting its focus away from the track itself and towards a wider ecosystem of experiences, partnerships and cultural touchpoints. 

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That change has created new opportunities for partners to activate in ways that are not constrained by the physical limitations of the circuit. 

It also reflects a broader change in how F1 approaches partnerships, with an increasing emphasis on collaboration, shared value and long-term ecosystem building rather than traditional sponsorship models. 

“The one thing that a lot of people focus on, which is the track, yes, that can get congested, but technology and various different aspects have enabled us to grow that space significantly,” Haworth explained.  

“The real fun and the real value comes in other ways of activating and building partnerships.  

If you look at the playground that we have, it enables you to partner with multiple different types of brands and have them activate in other spaces that are completely unique to them.

Jonny Haworth

“If you look at the playground that we have, it enables you to partner with multiple different types of brands and have them activate in other spaces that are completely unique to them and grow value in that particular space without touching each other.” 

That broader perspective allows F1 to present itself not simply as a race series, but as a platform that can support a wide range of brand activity across different environments and audiences. 

That shift is reflected in the type of commercial agreements F1 has secured in recent seasons. Partnerships with brands such as Disney, LVMH, LEGO and PepsiCo highlight how the sport is increasingly aligning itself with companies that can operate across entertainment, retail and cultural spaces.

These deals are designed to extend F1’s reach into new audiences and environments, from consumer products and experiential activations to large-scale global campaigns, reinforcing the championship’s position as a platform that can deliver value across multiple touchpoints.

The implication is that the value of a partnership is no longer defined by exposure on the car or circuit, but by how effectively brands can use the wider F1 environment to engage audiences. 

“When it comes to partnerships, it’s the word partnerships, which means that there’s a sharing of value that goes on in those partnerships,” said Haworth.  

“If you look at what we’ve recently done with Nestle and KitKat, that has given us mass reach that we’ve never had into retail everywhere, and the same with PepsiCo. 

“When you add that sharing and you put together various different brands, you can create an ecosystem that has mutual value for everyone.” 

That model allows F1 to create interconnected commercial ecosystems where multiple partners benefit from each other’s audiences and capabilities. 

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At the premium end of the market, the same principle applies through experience-led collaborations. 

“You put two brands together and you put it in a racetrack environment, you end up with something like a Hennessy tasting in an American Express environment, where both brands get the benefit of each other’s audience,” added Haworth. 

“We’re seeing a lot more of that, especially on the experience side, where brands are working together to deliver value that goes beyond a single activation.”  

The evolution of F1’s commercial model is also evident in how partnerships are activated across different markets, with global agreements increasingly paired with local execution. 

“If you look at a partner like PepsiCo, they will buy on a global level, but they are activating on a very local level across multiple brands,” Haworth said during the Driving Revenue: Motorsport’s Commercial Playbook panel. 

“They can switch on everything from product distribution and packaging through to local market campaigns and launches. That 360 multi-brand, global versus local approach is central to how these partnerships deliver value. 

“There aren’t many places where you can build something that works at a global level, a local level, and across multiple touchpoints, all within one ecosystem. It’s about delivering against the specific objective that a company has and being creative in how that is activated. 

“We’re building products that are culturally relevant, whether that is in music, fashion or technology, and using those to engage different parts of the fan base.” 

The change in approach allows F1 to engage fans in different ways – especially with a demographic that is shifting and bringing in new audiences at pace. 

When you have multi-generational interest, from younger fans through to long-time followers, it creates a much broader platform for commercialisation.

Jonny Haworth

“When you have multi-generational interest, from younger fans through to long-time followers, it creates a much broader platform for commercialisation,” Haworth concluded. 

“The more we understand those audiences and what drives them, the more opportunities we have to create value across the sport.” 

While the racing remains the core product, the wider ecosystem surrounding it has become increasingly important, offering partners a range of opportunities that extend far beyond the track. 

For brands, that means engaging with F1 is no longer just about visibility during a race weekend, but about accessing a platform that combines sport, culture and experience into a single commercial proposition.