The branding and sponsorship side of F1 is hard to overlook in the current era. Especially when finances play an important role in cars’ development throughout the season, teams are willing to give them the first priority. As was largely noticed with Ferrari earlier last season, they modified the iconic red livery with a hint of blue, reflecting their partnership with HP.
However, this has been a part of the sport for decades. It was in 1968 when Team Gunston painted their Brabham in the color of Gunston Cigarettes, marking a revolutionary change on the grid. Since then, there have been many notable “team-brand” partnerships, which have grasped the attention of the spectators even when the cars appeared as mere blurs on straights. Let us look at some of the most iconic “brand-team” partnerships in the sport’s history.
#5 Lotus F1 – John Player Special
Lotus was known for its iconic gold and black livery in the 1970s. Their partnership began in 1972, and the color scheme then defined Lotus F1 for the coming 16 years. The cigarette brand seemed inseparable from Lotus; however, the partnership came to an end. Lotu’s on-track performance and the growing tobacco advertising restrictions were some of the assessed reasons.
#4 Jordan – 7Up
Jordan Grand Prix debuted in 1991 with an iconic green livery, taking up colors from their sponsor 7Up, and featuring splashes of blue. The latter from their Ford and Fujifilm sponsorships. It was quite a unique set of sponsors in Formula 1, considering most teams were sponsored by oil and tobacco brands. However, this livery won fans’ hearts.
Michael Schumacher’s F1 debut in Belgium would make it more iconic in the coming years. But, he only participated in one race before moving to Benetton.
#3 McLaren – Marlboro
Marlboro is one of the most iconic sponsors that the sport has had in its long history. Their partnership with McLaren began in 1974 with Emerson Fittipaldi and went on for over two decades until 1996. The livery was painted red and white, showcasing Marlboro’s packaging scheme. What made the livery special was the duration of the partnership, along with the major success the team had with it. They won seven drivers’ and six constructors’ championships, featuring drivers like James Hunt, Niki Lauda, and Ayrton Senna behind the wheel.
#2 Williams F1 – Camel
Williams’s FW15C was iconic for several reasons, but its livery was one that caught most attention. Alain Prost clinched the 1993 Formula 1 World Championship with the car, and the team dominated the grid with his teammate Damon Hill. The livery was topped with a yellow for their partnership with Camel cigarettes. The white pods to highlight Canon and the blue nose for Elf made it an amazing color scheme. It has been voted as the best Williams livery on F1‘s website.
#1 Scuderia Ferrari – Marlboro
Marlboro’s partnership with Scuderia Ferrari is iconic for several reasons. The brand had been supporting the Italian team since the 1984 season, but their later years after 1997 were far more influential. Michael Schumacher was driving for the team, and they were getting close to winning a title. They won six consecutive Constructors’ Championships between 1999 and 2004, and five consecutive Drivers’ Championships between 2000 and 2004.
Schumacher was an influential figure on the grid at the time. He drove the iconic F2004, which brightly featured the red and white Marlboro livery. Despite the ban on tobacco advertisements later, the team continued their partnership through barcode logos, which were removed in the 2010 season.
