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By Silvia Schweiger| Posted November 11, 2021 | In Formula1, Marketing Sportivo, MotoGP, Sponsorizzazioni Sportive
On October 15th, Formula 1 has announced the provisional calendar for the next 2022 season. It looks like it will be a super exciting season, on many different levels:
The Coronavirus pandemic has strongly impacted on the races of the last two years, especially in terms of the Formula 1 calendar. Therefore the return of very popular circuits and races such as the Australian Grand Prix at the Melbourne track, the Canadian Grand Prix at the Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, the Japanese Grand Prix and the Singapore Grand Prix are very, very important.
The situation is not yet stable of course, and the continuing uncertainties about travel restrictions have however forced the circus not to include China in the current provisional 2022 schedule: Shanghai, for the third consecutive year, will not be a part of the F1 schedule. The Circus will return – or rather will continue – to race on the historic Imola track, in Italy, with the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix set for April the 24th.
DATE | GRAND PRIX | VENUE |
---|---|---|
20 March | Bahrain | Sakhir |
27 March | Saudi Arabia | Jeddah |
10 April | Australia | Melbourne |
24 April | Emilia Romagna | Imola* |
8 May | Miami | Miami** |
22 May | Spain | Barcelona* |
29 May | Monaco | Monaco |
12 June | Azerbaijan | Baku |
19 June | Canada | Montreal |
3 July | United Kingdom | Silverstone |
10 July | Austria | Spielberg |
24 July | France | Le Castellet |
31 July | Hungary | Budapest |
28 August | Belgium | Spa |
4 September | Netherlands | Zandvoort |
11 September | Italy | Monza |
25 September | Russia | Sochi |
2 October | Singapore | Singapore* |
9 October | Japan | Suzuka |
23 October | USA | Austin* |
30 October | Mexico | Mexico City |
13 November | Brazil | Sao Paulo |
20 November | Abu Dhabi | Abu Dhabi |
The real, and much awaited, news is the inclusion of the Miami Grand Prix scheduled for May the 8th. The first of two races in America will take place around the Miami Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium, with the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas scheduled for October.
The presence of two groups of triple headers has caused some doubts, especially among people working in the business; an incredible effort for the teams and the drivers, but they had to accept it hoping that it does not become a rule. Adapting to challenges has become a must have, now even more than before. A big impact on the calendar has been played by the upcoming Football World Cup in November; it has had a decisive weight on the definition of some gigs and forces the Formula 1 calendar to end in November, before the start of World Cup.
The triple-headers currently expected are:
The next season will also see the return of the Singapore Grand Prix and the shortening of the Monaco Grand Prix weekend from four days to three, with the return of Friday which was usually a day off in Monaco (traditionally Friday is market day in the Principality). The media activities usually took place on Wednesday, free practice 1 and 2 on Thursday, then FP3 and qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday.
Another news to report is the confirmation of the sprint qualifying for a third of the races. The system was tested in 2021 at the British and Italian Grand Prix and will also be confirmed for the next calendar. The result will certainly be a more fun show for fans throughout the weekend, with traditional quali starting on Friday afternoon.
President and CEO of Formula 1 Stefano Domenicali said: “We are excited to announce the 2022 calendar as we prepare to enter a new era for the sport with brand new regulations and cars for next year that are designed to create closer racing. Certainly, an ambitious project, which clearly has had to adapt to the current global situation, but also a rich program of races for spectators at home, who will be able to enjoy an unprecedented spectacle.
2022 will be the longest Formula 1 calendar to ever see the light of the day. An organizational, sporting, logistical and media commitment that is unprecedented in the history of motorsports and that will force the teams, organizers, and sports marketing agencies to push even further.
It is yet another step in an evolutionary process that the circus is trying to embark on to recover some lost ground in recent years, and to further expand its boundaries and to conquer new audiences, stealing them from other forms of entertainment.
The changes to the F1 2022 race calendar are not the only weapon Domenicali and his team are ready to use for the future. 2022 also sees a substantial revolution in car design: simpler, easier to pass, safer and more sustainable. Tires, wings, and air flows have been reshaped to ensure cleaner, fresher and more linear air for the chasing cars, maximizing the ease of overtaking and consequently the spectacle on the track. Visually too, it will be another world. At the same time, improvements to fuels and a general simplification of the project should ensure an increase in sustainability, both environmental and economic, both of which are two important issues to take care of in the agenda of the circus’s priorities
It is difficult to say whether all this is a revolution or an evolution. Among the skeptics there are already those who say that a substantially functioning recipe is turning into a mess without foundation. Among the enthusiasts, on the other hand, there is the smile of those who see a sport that is not afraid to face modernity by changing and progressing.
What is certain is that from the 2022 calendar we will be faced with a very different Formula 1, whose values on the field will – once more – be re-discussed.
We cannot do anything but wait and see.
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.
Associate Director, Executive Marketing and Commercial at RTR Sports Marketing, a London-based sports marketing company specializing in motorsport for over 25 years. Without sports, life is boring
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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 sponsorship or sports marketing 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. Sports 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.
Sports 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 sports marketing and sports sponsorship agency like RTR has an objective, 360-degree picture of the scenario and can tell you what is really best for you: which sport, 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 sports 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 sports marketing project you need an agency that knows how to use sponsorship to engage the fanbase on the Web, 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 sports 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.
I would like to highlight the fact that one of the qualities of RTR is its great ability to approach the sponsorship scenario strategically, together with its passionate attitude, its amazing enthusiasm for solving problems, and its high level of professionalism.
Gianluca Degliesposti
Executive Director Server&Storage EMEA
Eurosport is truly delighted with its business relationship with Riccardo Tafà, who has become extremely popular, thanks to his detailed knowledge of the sports marketing sector and his highly diligent attitude to work.
Francois Ribeiro
Commercial Director
Passion and Expertise are the features that I have found in RTR since the very beginning. Serious and reliable professionals but also very helpful, nice and open-mind people, willing to listen and compare different ideas. All the values in which RTR believes make this agency a partner, not just a supplier, a partner with whom we have had the opportunity to achieve significant commercial results in term of success and image.
Luca Pacitto
Head of Communication
We have been working with RTR Sports Marketing for over 10 years. The objectives and the programmes of collaboration continue to be renewed and to grow with mutual satisfaction. I believe RTR is a team of great professionals led by Riccardo Tafà, who I consider a manager of exceptional skills and with a great passion for his work.
Lucio Cecchinello
Team Principal
I have known and worked with Riccardo Tafà since 1995 when we collaborated for the first time on a project for the Williams Formula 1 team. Several clients followed. After leaving Williams to work for Gerhard Berger then owner of the Toro Rosso F1 Team, I turned again to Riccardo to seek his help in finding a tool supplier for the team and Riccardo duly obliged with an introduction to USAG, a partnership with Toro Rosso which endured for five years. I recently started a new role as Group Commercial Director for the renowned Andretti Autosport organisation and I find myself working with Riccardo once again on a number of interesting projects. Why has this relationship with Riccardo endured ? He’s smart, knows the commercial side of sport inside out and back to front and he’s honest and trustworthy. Riccardo Tafà is a “doer” not a “talker”: in over 20 years I have never had a dispute either with him or with a company that he has introduced and each partnership introduced by Riccardo has delivered quantifiable ROI to rights holder and sponsor alike. I can think of no better testimonial of Riccardo’s diligence, knowledge, contact base and hard work than that.
Jim Wright
Group Commercial Director
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