Author: Riccardo Tafà
Riccardo Tafà is the founder and Managing Director of RTR Sports Marketing, the independent motorsport sponsorship agency he established in 1995. A law graduate of the University of Bologna, he began his career in PR in London before moving into motorsport, and has spent more than 30 years structuring sponsorship partnerships in Formula 1 and MotoGP - closing over 100 deals across eight championships with properties including McLaren, Williams, Ducati, Honda HRC, Yamaha Factory Racing and Dorna Sports. He writes on sponsorship strategy, commercial rights, pricing, and ROI measurement for brands entering motorsport at every budget level.
August 8, 2024
Licensing in Motorsport: The Key to Expanding Your Market.
In the competitive world of consumer goods, the licensing in motorsports represent a unique strategy to differentiate your brand and create emotional connections with consumers. Imagine your [...]
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August 7, 2024
Breaking Barriers: The Surge of Women in Formula 1
The Formula 1 landscape, historically dominated by male drivers, is witnessing a groundbreaking shift as women enter the fray and shatter long-standing barriers. The growing presence and enth[...]
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July 30, 2024
Understanding Formula 1 Flags: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners and Enthusiasts
Formula 1 is a captivating sport that enthralls millions worldwide, yet its complexities can be challenging for newcomers to grasp. A fundamental aspect that both novices and seasoned fans mu[...]
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July 18, 2024
F1 Sponsorship: Why Agencies Deliver Better Results than Direct Deals
Why Independent Agencies Outshine Direct Deals in F1 Sponsorship Navigating the dynamic world of Formula1 sponsorship demands more than a direct deal with a racing team; it requires the exper[...]
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July 17, 2024
Unlocking Opportunities: Why Sponsoring the Olympics is a Game-Changer for Brands
Sponsoring the Olympics is an unparalleled opportunity for brands to elevate their global presence and connect with a diverse audience. The Olympics, steeped in rich history and cultural heri[...]
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July 17, 2024
Are WEC cars faster than F1?
Motorsport enthusiasts often engage in spirited debates about the relative speeds of different racing categories. Two of the most advanced and prestigious forms of motorsport are the World En[...]
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July 16, 2024
Bad sponsorship examples in F1: six failures and what they tell us
Bad sponsorship examples in F1 have one thing in common: they almost never fail on track. They fail earlier, in the meeting where someone signs without asking the right questions. The best-kn[...]
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July 9, 2024
Do Formula E still swap cars?
Formula E, the all-electric racing series, has come a long way since its inception in 2014. One of the most interesting aspects of its early seasons was the practice of car swapping, a unique[...]
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July 8, 2024
How long is a NASCAR race? Hours, laps and what makes it longer
A NASCAR race does not last a number of hours. It lasts a number of laps. On average a NASCAR Cup Series race lasts about three hours, but in 2026 the range ran from 2 hours 29 minutes at Wat[...]
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July 5, 2024
MotoGP suit: how it is made, what it costs and what it is worth to a sponsor
The price of a MotoGP suit tells only part of the story. In the shops, high-end racing suits range from about 2,240 euros for the Alpinestars GP Tech V5 to about 3,600 euros for the Alpinesta[...]
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July 5, 2024
The 4 Ps of sports marketing: how they change when a sponsor uses them
Product, price, place, promotion. The 4 Ps were born in 1960, in E. Jerome McCarthy’s textbook Basic Marketing: A Managerial Approach, and they have been one of the first frameworks tau[...]
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July 4, 2024
Why does MotoGP use a reverse shift? How the MotoGP gearbox works
A MotoGP gearbox is not upside down. Ours is, the one on road bikes, if you look at it through the eyes of someone who has to change gear with the bike still leaned over, coming out of corner[...]
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June 26, 2024
How to choose a sports marketing agency: the criteria that really matter
“Sports marketing agency” is one of the broadest labels in our industry. It covers companies that sell sponsorship rights, creative studios that run events, agents who work for a [...]
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June 13, 2024
Racetrack sponsorship: what a brand really buys, and what it does not
On Grand Prix weekend, the circuit is not for sale. It is the most common misunderstanding in racetrack sponsorship: brands sign with the venue expecting to appear in the race coverage, then [...]
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April 21, 2024
Sports sponsorship agency: what it does and when it is worth it
Most companies that call us about a sponsorship have already chosen the team. Far fewer have chosen the objective. It is not carelessness, it is how sport works: it is one of the few sectors [...]
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April 18, 2024
Strategic sports marketing: how to build a strategy that works
Nineteen hundred and two. That is the year Slazenger became the official supplier of balls to Wimbledon, and it has never stopped since: it is considered the longest-running sponsorship in th[...]
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April 5, 2024
The 10 best Superbike riders of all time
Who are the most famous Superbike riders of all time, and which of them were truly the best? In the world of two-wheel racing the Superbike World Championship is one of the most exciting and [...]
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March 22, 2024
Sponsor on the visor: small sticker, big impact
The smallest place to put a brand in motorsport is also one of the most watched. A helmet visor is only a few centimetres wide, but it is the only space that stays in frame when the camera se[...]
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February 14, 2024
F1 vs MotoGP: a team-oriented championship against a star-oriented one
The common assumption is that Formula 1 and MotoGP compete for the same audience and the same sponsors. They do not. They are two different products, built on two opposite ideas: F1 sells tea[...]
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February 2, 2024
The psychology of sponsorship in F1: fan behaviour
People assume a company sponsors Formula 1 to buy visibility. That is only partly true: visibility can be bought elsewhere, what F1 really sells is an emotional bond. The psychology of F1 spo[...]
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