Top 25 Iconic Sponsorships in F1 History
25. Blackberry - Mercedes
It might seem odd to see the name Blackberry again. However, during Mercedes' start of dominance in 2014, the legacy phonemaker had a significant presence on the car.
24. Elf - Renault
Elf became Renault's main partner in the 1970s for the turbo engine project. This led to some iconic yellow and black cars with Elf branding.
23. Tommy Hilfiger - Mercedes
Tommy Hilfiger found the right match with Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes. While Hamilton has left the team since, the fashion brand still shines in the paddock with the Silver Arrows.
22. Aston Martin - Red Bull
Aston Martin and Red Bull seemed to be a match made in heaven. The partnership even gave birth to Adrian Newey-designed Valkyrie hypercar. However, Lawrence Stroll's takeover of the carmaker ended this tie-up in 2019.
21. Alfa Romeo - Sauber
Alfa Romeo returned to F1 as a title sponsor of Sauber in 2018. The Italian carmaker remained the face of the team till 2023 after Audi took over Sauber.
20. Red Bull - Sauber
Before entering its own team Red Bull sponsored Sauber in the early 2000s. This was an iconic yet short-lived partnership.
19. Petronas - Sauber
Just like Red Bull, Sauber even enjoyed the backing of Malaysian oil giant Petronas in F1. However, this partnership never witnessed the success Petronas had with Mercedes.
18. BWT - Force India
Force India shocked the F1 paddock when it turned its cars pink for BWT in 2017. Though the pink livery ceased to exist after Aston Martin's rebranding in 2021.
17. Shell - Ferrari
Shell's partnership with Ferrari is one of the longest running ones in F1 history. The iconic Shell logo has a prominent place in all Ferrari F1 cars.
16. Monster Energy - Mercedes
Monster Energy had a strong partnership with Mercedes in the 2010s with even a special Lewis Hamilton themed drink.
15. BMW - Williams
BMW's presence on Williams cars was actually a sponsorship deal alongside engine supply. Unfortunately, the two parties never achieved the success they desired.
14. Rothmans - Williams
The Williams Rothmans livery between 1994 and 1997 became iconic in F1 after Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve both won the world title.
13. Martini - Brabham
Martini's blue-red stripes were iconic on Brabham cars in the 1970s. This livery quickly became a fan favorite. Williams brought something similar in 2014, but not to the same extent.
12. Mild Seven - Renault
Renault's blue and yellow Mild Seven livery is remembered for Fernando Alonso's two world titles. The design is still cherished by fans.
11. Camel - Williams
In the early 90s, Camel was a prominent name in F1. The blue, yellow and white Williams cars became iconic on the grid.
10. John Player Special - Lotus
John Player Special (JPS)' black-and-gold colors led to one of the best liveries of all time at Lotus. This design was driven by the likes of Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell.
9. Camel - Lotus
Unlike the Williams design, Lotus gave full freedom to Camel, and ran in complete yellow cars. This created a sense of a stronger partnership between the two sides.
8. Red Bull
Red Bull is an F1 team yes. But at the end of the day, it started out as a way of marketing. Red Bull has enjoyed unprecedented levels of reach through its F1 operations.
7. Lucky Strike - BAR Honda
The Lucky Strike livery at BAR Honda is still considered by many as a classic design. Though, the colors never really translated to on-track brilliance.
6. 7UP - Jordan
The 1991 Jordan 191 in 7UP colors is still said to be one of the most beautiful F1 cars ever. The green and blue design was simply pleasing to the eye.
5. West McLaren
West's partnership with McLaren gave rise to the black-and-gray cars of late 1990s and early 2000s. Mika Häkkinen even his world champions in these colors.
4. Vodafone - McLaren
Vodafone McLaren gave birth to the fan favorite chrome livery in F1. Between 2007 and 2013, these cars simply looked incredible compared to the rest of the grid.
3. Petronas - Mercedes
Mercedes' strong ties to Petronas helped elevate it's silver liveries with turquoise. Though now the partnership is even more iconic considering the on-track success.
2. Marlboro - Ferrari
Marlboro, the one company that ruled the grid in terms of sponsorships. The tobacco giant supported Ferrari for years with some iconic moments with Michael Schumacher. Even after ban on tobacco advertising, the two sides came up with barcodes as an alleged means of surrogate adversitizing.
1. Marlboro - McLaren
While Ferrari remained red, McLaren's Marlboro partnership gave rise to the stellar red-and-white cars. This also included the historic MP4/4. Thus, this deal has to top this list.
