Not every brand arrives in Formula 1 knowing exactly what it wants the sport to do for it. For Allwyn, the answer has taken shape over the course of its first year as an Official Partner.
The multi-year extension it has since agreed reflects a growing confidence in what the platform can deliver.
Allwyn’s F1 footprint now operates on two levels. Alongside its sport-wide partnership, the lottery-led entertainment company holds a separate deal with McLaren Mastercard F1 Team.
That dual-layer approach gives it both the scale of the global platform and the emotional depth of an established team fanbase – and it is not accidental.
Partnering with F1 brings significant opportunities to engage a global audience, but for driver-led activations, brands are increasingly finding that team deals are the most effective route in.
Allwyn, the UK-based arm of which now runs the National Lottery, has been immersed in F1 since its deal was announced in 2025.
At the time, F1 President and Chief Executive Officer Stefano Domenicali said the partnership: “provides new opportunities for both our organisations to connect with broader audiences around the world.”
Pavel Turek, Chief Officer Global Partnerships at Allwyn, pointed to the vast reach of the F1 calendar and its audience as central to its decision to commit.
“Formula 1 stood out because of its global reach, year-round calendar and highly engaged fan base,” he told Sector.
“With 24 races across multiple continents and a fanbase of more than 800 million, the scale, frequency and worldwide visibility of F1 made it an ideal platform to introduce and grow the Allwyn brand across multiple markets simultaneously.”
Through the F1 Allwyn Global Community Award, the partnership has also taken on a social aspect that sets it apart from more traditional sponsorship arrangements – last year, it recognised charities in the US, Mexico and the Netherlands with donations of €100,000 each in its first year.
During 2026 the programme doubles in size, with awards to be presented at eight races across the season. For Allwyn, that community focus is central to what the brand wants the partnership to represent.
“Allwyn is a gaming and entertainment company focused on creating engaging experiences for players while supporting good causes in the communities we serve,” he said.
“That naturally aligns with Formula 1, which combines innovation, entertainment and global reach.”
Having only partnered with F1 last year, it was a somewhat surprising announcement when the deal was expanded and extended in March.
Turek explained, however, that the early success of the agreement gave Allwyn confidence to commit further and deepen its investment.
“The extension reflects the strong performance of the partnership in its first year and the value it has already delivered,” he said.
“By extending the agreement, we can bring more moments to life that tell the Allwyn story, while also delivering value back to F1 audiences through new and fun activations.”
Activation is where the partnership is evolving most visibly. Allwyn’s branding features during the formation lap at each race weekend, while the Allwyn League – a prediction platform – integrates the brand into the fan ecosystem directly.
The long-term nature of the agreement allows us to move beyond short-term visibility and build a deeper, more meaningful presence in F1.
Pavel Turek
The structure of the agreement is what allows those layers to develop properly as short-term deals rarely give brands the space to build something lasting within a sport as complex as F1.
“The long-term nature of the agreement allows us to move beyond short-term visibility and build a deeper, more meaningful presence in F1,” Turek said.
“It gives us the time to develop integrated activations, create memorable experiences for fans, and measure impact across multiple markets.”
Defining what success looks like within that framework matters as much as the activations themselves. For Allwyn, it goes beyond making headlines.
“Success in this partnership is multi-faceted,” said Turek.
“At a high level, it’s about creating meaningful connections with audiences, strengthening our brand presence, and delivering experiences that resonate with F1 fans.
“By combining purpose-driven initiatives with engaging experiences, we can evolve our role in Formula 1 in ways that are both memorable for fans and impactful for the Allwyn brand,” he told Sector.
Adjacent to its plans with F1, Allwyn’s McLaren relationship – announced in February 2025 – opens up opportunities that the sport-wide deal alone cannot provide.
“Our McLaren Mastercard F1 Team partnership, with its committed and diverse audience, strong team mentality and credible brand reputation, enables us to further emotional connection and activation opportunities involving the team and the drivers,” added Turek.
For a company still in the early stages of its F1 journeym Allwyn is building steadily, deliberately and with a long-term strategy in mind.
