Formula 1 Sponsors Are a Complicated Lot
Formula 1 is a fun, adrenaline-pumping sport to watch. But behind the fast cars and champagne showers are some pretty sleazy sponsorship deals.
Written by Andrew Koole
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Anyone who loves auto sports likely recognizes the presence of sponsorship in Formula 1 racing. The number of logos emblazoned on every square inch of each car can seem absurd, given that for most of the time they’re in the public eye, they’re moving far too fast for you to read.
But since 1968, Formula 1 cars have done double-duty as billboards for everything from tequila to Swedish pop bands, with racing teams and the International Automobile Federation (FIA) often lacking discernment around how these brands reflect back on them.
Russia’s recently revealed links to Formula 1
The recent newsworthy spat between a Formula 1 team and its sponsor goes a little deeper than the brand names on the team’s race suits.
On the evening of February 24, the first day of
Russia’s invasion
of Ukraine, ESPN
reports that American Formula 1 team Haas severed ties with its biggest sponsor, Uralkali—a Russian oil company—stripping the company’s name and “Russian flag” colors from its car and apparel. Eight days later, Haas ousted its rookie driver, Nikita Mazepin, the son of Uralkali’s owner, Dmitry Mazepin. It proved to be the right move, as both men soon ended up being sanctioned by the west after news came out that Dmitry met with Putin on the first day of the war.
Let Jerry find your price in only 45 seconds
No spam · No long forms · No fees
Russian oil is not the only bad guy sponsoring Formula 1
Not every Formula 1 team is funded by a Russian oligarch, but the millions of dollars these teams need to function are anything but clean.
Besides the obvious sponsorships from oil companies, some of whom have the worst sustainability records on the planet, the sport also has a long, shady relationship with other big, bad industries—cheifly, cigarette brands.
One could argue that Big Tobacco started the whole F1 sponsorship game. When the sport’s sponsorship ban lifted in ‘68, British cigarette brand Imperial Tobacco was the first company to jump at the opportunity, becoming the majority sponsor for Lotus.
Thanks to the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco advertisement was essential banned worldwide in 2005, but
Donut Media
says brands like Marlboro and British American Tobacco still sponsor F1 teams through disguised names like A Better Tomorrow and Mirrow Winnow.Beat the bad guys by shopping for car insurance with Jerry
The car insurance industry might not cause the same death tolls as oil and tobbaco, but some of them have their fair share of controversial car insurance practices that discriminate drivers based on race, gender, credit score, and a wide range of other factors.
Thankfully, shopping for
car insurance
with Jerry gives you access to all kinds of providers, allowing you the chance to avoid being unfairly charged based on factors that have nothing to do with your car or driving record.Jerry is an insurance comparison app that shops for low prices with dozens of different insurance companies for free. You will get quotes in seconds, can make changes at any time, and if you ever have any questions, agents are just a text away!
4.7
