Are you willing to sponsor?
Are you ready to explore the transformative power of athlete sponsorship for your brand? Click here to learn more about how sponsorship can help brands grow and thrive in the exciting world of motorsports.
By Emanuele Venturoli| Posted August 20, 2015 | In Formula1, MotoGP, Sport News, Sport Sponsorship, Sports Marketing
Formula One has returned after its 3 week summer break for the two Friday practice sessions for the 2015 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa Francorchamps.
Nico Rosberg ended the day as the fastest man in both sessions, with Lewis Hamilton just behind followed by the Red Bull and Ferrari drivers on both occasions. The day wasn’t so simple for Rosberg after a scary tyre blow out at almost 200mph in practice 2.
Nico Rosberg held an advantage of 2 tenths of a second over team-mate Lewis Hamilton in the first 90 minute practice session at Spa Francorchamps. Unlike some practice sessions so far this year, their rivals seemed to be close to them. Red Bull and Ferrari had both of their drivers within a second of Nico Rosberg; with Daniel Ricciardo 3rd ahead of Kimi Raikkonen, Sebastian Vettel and Daniil Kvyat.
Max Verstappen was announced as a Toro Rosso driver just over a year ago now and will be looking for a good result following his fantastic 4th place last time out in Hungary. He finished the first practice session in 7th; just ahead of his team-mate Carlos Sainz.
Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas rounded out the top 10, with Pastor Maldonado 11th. The Venezuelan caused the session’s one and only red flag after crashing on the exit of Les Combes. He would not make it back out until after the second session had begun. Jolyon Palmer was in the sister Lotus car and was the only reserve/test driver to make an appearance this weekend. He ended the session 17th fastest.
Practice 1 results:
POS |
Driver |
Team |
Time |
Laps |
1 |
Nico Rosberg |
Mercedes |
1’51.082 |
19 |
2 |
Lewis Hamilton |
Mercedes |
1’51.324 |
24 |
3 |
Daniel Ricciardo |
Red Bull |
1’51.373 |
18 |
4 |
Kimi Raikkonen |
Ferrari |
1’51.478 |
23 |
5 |
Sebastian Vettel |
Ferrari |
1’51.866 |
21 |
6 |
Daniil Kvyat |
Red Bull |
1’52.960 |
18 |
7 |
Max Verstappen |
Toro Rosso |
1’52.158 |
27 |
8 |
Carlos Sainz |
Toro Rosso |
1’52.421 |
26 |
9 |
Sergio Perez |
Force India |
1’52.423 |
20 |
10 |
Valtteri Bottas |
Williams |
1’52.511 |
19 |
11 |
Pastor Maldonado |
Lotus |
1’52.539 |
15 |
12 |
Nico Hulkenberg |
Force India |
1’52.614 |
20 |
13 |
Felipe Nasr |
Sauber |
1’52.640 |
16 |
14 |
Felipe Massa |
Williams |
1’52.653 |
22 |
15 |
Marcus Ericsson |
Sauber |
1’53.426 |
16 |
16 |
Fernando Alonso |
McLaren |
1’53.502 |
15 |
17 |
Jolyon Palmer |
Lotus |
1’53.799 |
23 |
18 |
Jenson Button |
McLaren |
1’54.225 |
14 |
19 |
Will Stevens |
Manor |
1’55.501 |
16 |
20 |
Roberto Merhi |
Manor |
1’55.086 |
17 |
Nico Rosberg continued to hold his advantage in the second practice session at Spa as he kept the lead ahead of Lewis Hamilton. The pair were separated by just 3 tenths, with Daniel Ricciardo continuing to be their closest challenger in the Red Bull; 7 tenths the gap between the Australian and Rosberg.
Nico’s session was ended rather abruptly after he suffered a scary tyre blowout at Blanchimont; one of the fastest corners on the circuit as the drivers reach speeds of up to 200mph. Thankfully the blowout only resulted in a high-speed spin rather than contact with a wall. The red flag was bought out to clear the track of tyre debris.
Daniil Kvyat and Kimi Raikkonen continued to show reasonable pace in 4th and 5th. The pair were just over a second off of Rosberg at the top of the time-sheets. Nico Hulkenberg was 6th fastest for Force India ahead of Romain Grosjean in the Lotus.
Sauber looked to be more competitive now that they have received upgraded Ferrari engines. Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr were 8th and 9th in the session; but Ericsson’s session ended prematurely after the Swedish driver put the car in the wall at Pouhon. The car was quite heavily damaged, with Marcus apologizing to the team on the radio soon after the impact.
Sebastian Vettel was only 10th fastest in the second session and seemed as though he was slower than his newly resigned team-mate Kimi Raikkonen so far this weekend. He was 1.5 seconds down on Rosberg’s fastest time in P1.
Practice 2 times:
POS |
Driver |
Team |
Time |
Laps |
1 |
Nico Rosberg |
Mercedes |
1’49.385 |
19 |
2 |
Lewis Hamilton |
Mercedes |
1’49.687 |
23 |
3 |
Daniel Ricciardo |
Red Bull |
1’50.136 |
15 |
4 |
Daniil Kvyat |
Red Bull |
1’50.399 |
18 |
5 |
Kimi Raikkonen |
Ferrari |
1’50.461 |
23 |
6 |
Nico Hulkenberg |
Force India |
1’50.461 |
21 |
7 |
Romain Grosjean |
Lotus |
1’50.489 |
21 |
8 |
Marcus Ericsson |
Sauber |
1’50.709 |
18 |
9 |
Felipe Nasr |
Sauber |
1’50.928 |
24 |
10 |
Sebastian Vettel |
Ferrari |
1’50.940 |
23 |
11 |
Sergio Perez |
Force India |
1’50.971 |
21 |
12 |
Carlos Sainz |
Toro Rosso |
1’51.037 |
24 |
13 |
Max Verstappen |
Toro Rosso |
1’51.117 |
25 |
14 |
Valtteri Bottas |
Williams |
1’51.250 |
25 |
15 |
Pastor Maldonado |
Lotus |
1’51.317 |
16 |
16 |
Felipe Massa |
Williams |
1’51.588 |
26 |
17 |
Jenson Button |
McLaren |
1’51.854 |
16 |
18 |
Fernando Alonso |
McLaren |
1’52.570 |
14 |
19 |
Will Stevens |
Manor |
1’54.065 |
17 |
20 |
Roberto Merhi |
Manor |
1’54.253 |
14 |
Are you ready to explore the transformative power of athlete sponsorship for your brand? Click here to learn more about how sponsorship can help brands grow and thrive in the exciting world of motorsports.
A graduate in Public, Social and Political Communication from the University of Bologna, he has always been passionate about marketing, design and sport.
The online platform where you can discover the latest trends, strategies and insights from the exciting world of sports marketing.
View our blogJuly 18, 2025
When Nico Hülkenberg finally stood on the F1 podium at Silverstone, it capped a staggering 239‑race wait—equivalent to 5,593 days since his debut in 2010. That mark now tops [...]
Read MoreJuly 9, 2025
July 9, 2025, will go down as one of the most dramatic days in modern Formula 1: Red Bull Racing unexpectedly announced that after twenty years in charge, Christian Horner would step aside as[...]
Read MoreJuly 4, 2025
When, in 1950, the Formula 1 kicked off at Silverstone, no one could have predicted that, 75 years later, it would become much more than a sport. Today, F1 is a global phenomenon, a cultural,[...]
Read MoreIn an era where it is possible to get anywhere with a click, there is a strong temptation to approach teams and properties directly for sponsorship projects.
By doing so, we are convinced that we are shortening the value chain, saving time and money. However, these DYI methods are anything but risk-free and what initially appears to be a competitive advantage soon turns into a problem that is difficult to resolve. That’s why there are agencies. And this is why you should rely on us for your sponsorships.
When first approaching a motorsport sponsorship project, it is difficult to know immediately which stakeholders are correct, what the decision flow is, and what the right timelines are for each process. Motorsport is a very specialized field of action, and fitting effectively into its paths can take a lot of time and therefore money. We, on the other hand, know referents and spheres of action and know who to talk to, when and how. So you are also more effective.
Motorsport is an immense passion, and for our heart colors we would be willing to do anything. But business is a different business, and it is important to make the best possible strategic decisions based on independent research, statistics and reliable data. A motorsport sponsorship agency like RTR has an objective, 360-degree picture of the scenario and can tell you what is really best for you: which racing series, which athlete, which team. This is because we possess a great deal of data and information on ratings, segmentation and attitudes. Because the numbers don’t lie. Never.
Activations are the real heart of motorsport sponsorship. Without them, there remains only a blank sticker on a motorcycle, car or uniform and no contact with the public, no emotional connection, no impact on the bottom line. Then how do you do it? It certainly won’t be the teams or the athletes who will help you leverage sponsorship and enjoy the many marketing rights you have paid for. To bring out the best in a motorsport marketing project, you need an agency that knows how to use sponsorship to engage the fanbase online, to reach out to Shopping Centers, to organize hospitality, to develop B2B and B2C opportunities, and to get “your” athletes in front of millions of potential consumers.
Would you ever go to the dealer who sold you the car and ask if the competitor’s car is better? No, of course. So, how do you expect to get firm measurements of the effectiveness of your sponsorship if you do not rely on someone super partes? At RTR, we have always worked with independent third-party agencies that allow us to know the return on any exposure of your brand on TV and in the media. In addition, we believe in calculating ROI as the ultimate measure of your success-so we can tell you for every penny you spend how much you are making.
We have been involved in motorsport sponsorship and sports marketing for more than 15 years. We are consultants in the sense that our goal is to maximize your investment, but we are also an agency that manages the project from start to finish. We have been doing this since 1995 with passion and professionalism, following three principles that have become cornerstones of our business: independence, verticality and transparency.
The online platform where you can discover the latest trends, strategies and insights from the exciting world of sports marketing.
View our blogAugust 4, 2025
Marketing in motorsport racing is not just about stickers on a car. It’s about stories, speed, and strategy. From Formula 1 to MotoGP, from Le Mans to IndyCar, motorsport offers a uniqu[...]
Read MoreAugust 1, 2025
“Offering sponsorships”, “looking for sponsors”, and “companies interested in sponsoring”. These are just a few of the many searches made every day by team[...]
Read MoreJuly 28, 2025
Red Bull Racing’s sponsors: A winning system With an extraordinary sequence of successes in recent seasons, Oracle Red Bull Racing has also established itself as one of the benchmark te[...]
Read More