Iconic Sponsors In F1 History – Global Sports Planet

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Formula 1 is one of the most expensive sports in the world, as many resources are needed to compete. For this reason, the teams must look for companies that advertise their cars and provide a source of income to cover the expenses.

Formula 1 allowed the entry of sponsors in the sport starting in 1968, and since then, hundreds of sponsors have passed through the category, constituting a crucial part of the survival of many teams and becoming one of the signs of the identity of F1 for its luxury and glamour.

Some sponsors have had a discreet passage through the category, while others have remained in F1 for many years, promoting one or several teams and becoming true icons. Despite abandoning the category, many brands are still associated with F1 due to the mark they left.

That being said, let´s look at some of the most iconic sponsors in Formula 1 history.

1. Marlboro

Without a doubt, the brand that has had the most importance in F1, and the one that marked the path of all the companies that advertised in Formula 1, has been the Marlboro tobacco company. Thanks to Formula 1, the Philip Morris company brand was able to establish itself as the world leader in the sector due to its omnipresence in the sport for more than 30 years.

Tobacco companies have had a great presence and importance in F1, and despite the fact that their advertising has been banned since 2006, they are still present in a subliminal way. If you want to know more about tobacco and F1, you can check this article.

Marlboro began its path in Formula 1 in 1972 by sponsoring BRM and painting its car with what would become the iconic Marlboro livery, white background with two red stripes simulating a cigarette pack.

In 1974, Marlboro became a sponsor of McLaren until 1996, with whom they would forge their legend and image, since this was the golden age of the British team. Between 1974 and 1996, Marlboro-sponsored McLarens won 7 constructors\’ and 9 drivers\’ championships with big names like Lauda, Hunt, Prost and Senna.

In addition, since 1973 Marlboro also sponsored Ferrari, becoming a title sponsor in 1997 and having a great presence in Michael Schumacher\’s world titles between 2000 and 2004.

Starting in 2006, with the ban on tobacco advertising in F1, Marlboro has continued to be subliminally advertised on Ferrari cars, via barcodes or similar logos as with the shell company \”Mission Winnow\”.

2. John Player Special

The other major tobacco company to make its mark in Formula 1 alongside Marlboro was John Player Special, which, unlike the Philip Morris brand, always sponsored the same team, Lotus, from 1972 to 1986.

During this time, Lotus, thanks to sponsorship from John Player Special, carried a livery that is considered by many to be the most iconic of all time. During those 14 seasons, the design practically did not change and consisted of a black background with the numbers, letters and logos in gold.

That color combination will just always work and never disappoints and has inspired many other liveries both in Formula 1 and in other categories, such as the 2019 Haas. Black and gold will always be associated with Formula 1 thanks to this classic, iconic and elegant livery.

During that time, Lotus claimed 3 constructors\’ titles, and 2 drivers\’ titles with Emerson Fittipaldi and Mario Andretti, as well as numerous wins and podium finishes with great legends such as Ronnie Peterson, Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna.

Although John Player Special left Formula 1 a long time ago, to this day it is still associated with racing cars and motorsports.

3. Shell

The oil and gas company Shell has staged one of the longest alliances in the history of Formula 1 with Ferrari and currently continues to sponsor the Prancing Horse.

Due to its longevity, Shell is one of the most historic brands in Formula 1, having been around since the conception of the first championship in 1950, thus having a strong presence over the decades, and achieving numerous successes.

It is said that Shell began sponsoring Ferrari the same year as the creation of the Italian brand, in 1929, long before Formula 1 existed, since at that time the brands involved in racing were basically those of tire and oil suppliers.

However, Shell has not always sponsored Ferrari, since between 1986 and 1994 it sponsored, together with Marlboro, McLaren, at the time of the historic rivalry between Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna.

After this time at McLaren, Shell returned to Ferrari again, and their union has grown stronger over time, and is no longer just a brand and fuel supply, but also encompasses the joint development of technology, committing until 2030.

4. Camel

The American tobacco company Camel was in Formula 1 for a short time, but it left a big mark and some of the most beautiful liveries of all time due to its iconic colors.

Camel was in Formula 1 from 1987 to 1993, and had a huge presence, sponsoring numerous teams on the grid. Camel began sponsoring Lotus, which had dropped its John Player Special sponsorship at the end of 1986, and the team went from the iconic black and gold to a spectacular all-yellow livery with the Camel logos.

1987 was a competitive year for Lotus, thanks to Ayrton Senna. Gradually, however, the team lost pace, and Camel lost interest in Lotus, ending their relationship in 1990. Camel also sponsored Larrouse and Tyrrell in 1989, although they were midfield teams, so they didn\’t have as much exposure

Between 1990 and 1993, Camel sponsored Benetton, with a very beautiful and original green and yellow decoration, achieving numerous podiums and some victories. However, Camel would find success sponsoring Williams between 1991 and 1993, as its iconic yellow was present at the world championships of Nigel Mansell in 1992 and Alain Prost in 1993.

5. Elf

Elf is an oil brand that has been very present throughout the history of F1, sponsoring a wide variety of teams. Owned by the French government at its inception, Elf began sponsoring Matra in 1968, and a year later the team won the drivers\’ championship with Jackie Stewart.

In 1970, both Stewart and Elf signed for Tyrrell, with the Briton becoming World Champion in 1971 and 1973. Elf became Tyrrell\’s title sponsor, sponsoring the famous Tyrrell P34 6-wheeler.

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Elf provided significant support to Renault\’s turbocharged project, as the turbocharged engine was in its early stages, and the French team worked with Elf to develop and refine a suitable fuel.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Elf sponsored a wide variety of teams including Ligier, Lotus, Williams and Benetton, as well as less competitive teams like Arrows, Larrouse and Pacific, achieving high visibility and a number of successes and world titles.

In the 2000s, Elf sponsored Renault on its return to F1, winning the 2005 and 2006 World Drivers\’ and Constructors\’ Championships. In 2009, Elf disappeared when parent company decided to switch to Total branding.

Total continued to sponsor Renault, and later also Red Bull, enjoying the success of the energy drink team between 2010 and 2013.

6. Petronas

The Malaysian oil company has had a large uninterrupted presence in F1 for the last two and a half decades. Petronas began its journey in F1 sponsoring Sauber, and in a couple of years, it became its title sponsor, giving rise to a very nice livery, in which the dark blue of Sauber was combined with the turquoise of the Malaysian company.

With the purchase of Sauber by BMW between 2006 and 2009, Petronas continued to sponsor the team. These years were very competitive and the team scored numerous podium finishes and a win at the 2008 Canadian GP by Robert Kubica.

After BMW pulled out of F1 at the end of 2009, despite Sauber continuing on, Petronas switched teams and became title sponsor for Mercedes on its return to F1 after more than 50 years.

Since then, Petronas has maintained its partnership with the Silver Arrows, who since 2014 have dominated F1, winning 8 constructors\’ and 7 drivers\’ championships. Like Shell with Ferrari, Petronas is also involved in joint technology development and has a contract with Mercedes until at least 2024.

7. Gold Leaf

Gold Leaf Cigarettes, owned by Imperial Tobacco, became F1\’s first corporate sponsor, sponsoring the Lotus team from 1968. The significance of Gold Leaf is that, up to that point, all cars were painted in classic racing colors and national flags, and from that moment on, big companies soon arrived, sponsoring teams with their colors and promoting various products, especially addictive ones such as tobacco.

Gold Leaf laid the groundwork for other big companies like Marlboro or Camel to start advertising in Formula 1. Lotus cars were painted red, white and gold, which were the corporate colors of Gold Leaf, giving them a timeless, iconic and elegant look.

Lotus had great successes during those years, winning the drivers\’ championship in 1968 by Graham Hill, and in 1970 by Jochen Rindt. However, Gold Leaf\’s sponsorship did not last long, as, by 1972, Imperial Tobacco began sponsoring its new brand, John Player Special, which, as we saw previously, sponsored Lotus until 1986.

8. Mild Seven

The tobacco company Mild Seven, owned by Japan Tobacco International, spent a relatively short time in Formula 1, but achieved great success in the category, giving a great image. Mild Seven started in Formula 1 in 1994, sponsoring Benetton and Tyrrell. The Japanese brand provided a light blue in the decoration of the car that always looked very good.

Mild Seven achieved instant success, as in 1994 and 1995, Benetton won two drivers\’ championships with Michael Schumacher and one constructors\’. Mild Seven stopped sponsoring Tyrrell after the 1996 season, and during 1997 sponsored Minardi due to Japanese driver Ukyo Katayama signing with the Italian team.

Following Renault\’s purchase of Benetton in 2002, Mild Seven continued to sponsor the team, again achieving success with both the French team\’s 2005 and 2006 constructors\’ and drivers\’ championships.

Following the ban on tobacco advertising in 2006, Mild Seven left F1, living a short but successful stint in the category.

9. Parmalat

Parmalat is an Italian dairy and food corporation founded in 1961 and sponsored Formula 1 teams for 3 decades. Parmalat started in F1 in 1975 in a partnership with Austrian driver Niki Lauda, and until 1977, Parmalat logos appeared on the overalls of the Ferrari drivers. Success came with Lauda\’s drivers\’ championships in 1975 and 1977.

When Lauda signed for Brabham in 1978, Parmalat became the title sponsor of the team, which was even renamed Parmalat Racing Team. Despite the Austrian\’s departure from Brabham in 1979, Parmalat continued with the team until 1985, experiencing the successes of Nelson Piquet in 1981 and 1983.

In 1985, Parmalat left Brabham, but continued its partnership with Niki Lauda, with whom they signed that he must always wear a Parmalat baseball cap, and did so until 2001.

In 1995, Parmalat returned to Formula 1 with the backmarker Forti team, supporting Brazilian driver Pedro Diniz, whose family had close business links with the company, following him in every move on the grid. In 1996, Diniz, and therefore Parmalat, signed for Ligier, a team that won a race that season by Olivier Panis.

That season, Parmalat also sponsored Arrows, and would do so until 1998, as Diniz drove for them in 1997 and 1998. Diniz\’s last two seasons in F1 were with Sauber in 1999 and 2000, and after that, Parmalat did not continue in the category either.

10. Red Bull

The energy drink brand entered Formula 1 long before founding its own team. Red Bull\’s first involvement in F1 began in 1989 when it signed Gerhard Berger as its first motorsport athlete.

Years later, in 1995, Red Bull became a visible sponsor for the first time, sponsoring the Swiss team Sauber, and having also acquired a majority stake. The iconic Red Bull logo was stamped onto the Sauber cars, creating a livery very similar to that of the current energy drink team.

Red Bull sponsored Sauber until 2004, as the brand\’s co-founder, Dietrich Mateschitz, had more ambitious plans. At the end of that year, Mateschitz bought the Jaguar team, and Red Bull made its debut in 2005 as a team. As if that were not enough, at the end of 2005, Red Bull also bought the Minardi team, debuting in 2006 with a second team, Toro Rosso, as a junior team dedicated to enabling young and talented drivers from the Red Bull Junior program to participate and grow in F1.

Red Bull did not stop growing during the next few years, dominating Formula 1 between 2010 and 2013 by Sebastian Vettel, while Toro Rosso established itself as a midfield team dedicated to young talent.

Since its F1 debut in 2005, only one team has claimed more wins than Red Bull, Mercedes, and numerous young drivers have driven for Toro Rosso, so the project has been a complete success.

11. Canon

The Japanese camera company experienced a short but intense time in Formula 1 thanks to Williams in its golden age. Canon began sponsoring the historic British team in 1985, being title sponsor until 1993 and having a large presence on the side of the car.

During those years, Williams was one of the most competitive teams, thanks to its advances and technological innovations, which gave Canon great visibility. In 1987, Williams won both the constructors\’ and drivers\’ championships with Nelson Piquet.

Years later, in 1992 and 1993, they repeated these successes, first with Nigel Mansell and then with Alain Prost, in two of the most dominating seasons in F1 history. However, even though Williams continued with more success throughout the 1990s, Canon left F1, as, from 1994, Rothmans tobacco became Williams\’ new title sponsor, filling the entire car with its advertising.

12. Martini

Martini is one of the most iconic brands in motorsport history due to its long and successful track record in rallying, sports cars and touring cars racing. It has not been as successful in Formula 1, but it has still had a certain presence and relevance.

Martini\’s association with F1 began in 1972 with the Italian Tecno team. The car sported a red livery with the iconic Martini stripes around the cockpit. After the 1973 season, Martini withdrew its support from the program after two uncompetitive seasons.

In 1975, Martini returned to F1 as Brabham\’s title sponsor and their cars incorporated the Martini colors on a white background, which was the livery the brand used in the other forms of motorsport. For 1976 and 1977, the Martini colors appeared on a Rosso Corsa red background.

The partnership between Martini and Brabham was not very successful, and in 1979 Martini sponsorship moved to Lotus, who had dominated the 1978 season thanks to their ground effect car. However, 1979 was a very uncompetitive year for the team and Martini withdrew from F1 once again.

Martini returned to F1 for the 2006 season sponsoring Ferrari. However, the brand only had a minor presence, with just a logo sticker on the nosecone of the cars. In 2014, Martini once again returned to F1 as title sponsor of Williams, and the classic and iconic Martini colors on a white background returned.

The turbo-hybrid era started out very competitive for Williams, scoring numerous podium finishes between 2014 and 2016. However, the team lost pace season after season, with two very disappointing years in 2017 and 2018, and Martini retired from F1 for the last time.

13. Vodafone

UK-based telecommunications giant Vodafone was in the paddock for a short but highly successful time in Formula 1. Its appearance in the sport began in 2001, sponsoring Benetton, with its branding on the front and rear wings.

A year later, in 2002, Vodafone started sponsoring Ferrari until 2006, with a large presence, enjoying the Prancing Horse\’s dominant era in F1 and winning three consecutive drivers\’ and constructors\’ championships between 2002 and 2004.

In 2007, Vodafone began a new stage in F1, sponsoring McLaren until 2013, and becoming its title sponsor. This partnership would give us one of the most beautiful liveries in F1 history, with silver McLaren cars combined with Vodafone red.

Vodafone\’s deal with McLaren coincided with the arrival of Lewis Hamilton in F1, who won the drivers\’ championship in 2008, giving Vodafone another success. McLaren would go on to claim numerous wins and podium finishes until 2012, but in 2013 the team began to decline, causing the telecommunications company to stop supporting the historic British team.

14. 7UP

Of all the sponsors we have seen, 7UP is the one that has been in Formula 1 for the shortest time, only for one season, but it left a great mark and one of the most iconic cars in the history of the sport, the Jordan 191.

7UP sponsored team Jordan in 1991 in its debut year. In their first season, they finished 5th in the constructors\’ championship, with Andrea De Cesaris 9th in the drivers\’, not bad for a new team.

In addition, the Jordan 191 was the car with which Michael Schumacher debuted in F1, who participated in the Belgian GP replacing Bertrand Gachot, and already showed his talent by beating De Cesaris in qualifying with a seventh place.

The car was painted a distinctive light green, a color we don\’t see much on race cars, combined with blue on the sides, and sponsorship from 7UP gave it a very \’90s look.

And what really makes this livery more beautiful is the shape of the bodywork: its arched front wing has made it an iconic car, plus the little fin on the back of the airbox, making it a really satisfying car to look at.

7UP left F1 after the 1991 season and never came back, but it left us a very beautiful car that is loved by all fans.

\"\" — Editorial credit: Natursports / Shutterstock.com

Conclusion

These are some of the brands that have shaped Formula 1 over the decades and have provided great support to the teams, being part of their successes, and also their failures.

Without them, Formula 1 would most likely not be what it is today.