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From Garage to Global: How Motorsport Turns Niche Brands into Global Icons
By Riccardo Tafà| Posted May 6, 2025 | In Sport Sponsorship, Sports Marketing
By Riccardo Tafà| Posted May 6, 2025 | In Sport Sponsorship, Sports Marketing
From Garage to Global: How Motorsport Turns Niche Brands into Global Icons
Motorsport sponsorship has long been perceived as the domain of corporate giants, with multinationals like Shell, Red Bull, and Petronas dominating the paddock. However, in recent years, a new wave of challenger brands—ambitious, agile, and often digital-first—have discovered that the racetrack offers more than just speed; it provides a powerful platform for global brand transformation. From fintech startups to beauty disruptors, these brands are leveraging motorsport to scale up, capture new markets, and build trust worldwide.
The Democratization of Motorsport Sponsorship
The landscape of motorsport sponsorship is evolving. According to IndustryARC, the motorsport sponsorship market is projected to reach $5.9 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.9% from 2024 to 2030. This growth is not solely driven by traditional sponsors but increasingly by challenger brands seeking to capitalize on the sport’s global reach and engaged fanbase.
NASCAR, for instance, has witnessed a shift in its sponsorship landscape. In 2005, nearly 60% of primary NASCAR sponsors were Fortune 500 companies. By 2023, that number had fallen to around 20%, with newer B2C companies and some B2B challenger brands entering the fray. This trend underscores the increasing accessibility of motorsport sponsorship for smaller brands.
From fintech startups to luxury watchmakers, motorsport sponsorship for challenger brands has democratized the racetrack, enabling niche players to achieve global icon status through targeted partnerships.
Some examples of what is going on in motorsport sponsorship
Airwallex & McLaren F1: Fintech Meets Formula One
In early 2024, Melbourne-based Airwallex signed a sponsorship contract with McLaren F1, showcasing its cross-border payment tech . Post-launch surveys recorded a 58% boost in brand trust and 70% rise in purchase intent, demonstrating how fintech sponsorship in F1 drives brand credibility
E.L.F. Cosmetics & Katherine Legge: Beauty Accelerates in IndyCar
In 2024, e.l.f. Cosmetics became the first beauty brand in Indy 500 sponsorship examples, backing driver Katherine Legge . The campaign drove a massive social engagement, helping e.l.f. connect with younger, female motorsport fans through motorsport diversity sponsorship examples.
Coinbase & Aston Martin: Crypto on the Grid
In February 2025, Aston Martin Aramco’s F1 team announced a multi-year sponsorship with Coinbase, paid entirely in the USDC stablecoin. This was publicly described as the first time a Formula 1 team has fully disclosed payment of a sponsorship using a stablecoin like USDC. The deal made Coinbase the team’s exclusive crypto partner and marked its debut in Formula One, highlighting the growing role of cryptocurrency sponsorship in motorsport and expanding Coinbase’s global fintech presence.
Vertu Motors & EXCELR8 (BTCC): Driving Retail Recognition
For the 2025 BTCC season, Vertu Motors rebranded its title sponsorship from Bristol Street Motors to Team VERTU, reflecting a consolidation of its dealership brands under the Vertu name, which now covers over 190 outlets. The Team VERTU name appears on Hyundai i30 Fastback N cars, leveraging BTCC sponsorship to reinforce Vertu’s automotive retail brand and boost visibility.
Bianchet & Maserati MSG Racing: Haute Horlogerie in Formula E
In 2024, Swiss watchmaker Bianchet became the Official Timekeeping Partner of Maserati MSG Racing and launched two limited-edition Flying Tourbillon Grande Date watches at the Monaco ePrix. Each edition is limited to 21 pieces, and owners receive exclusive experiences such as pit-lane visits and simulator sessions with the team, exemplifying how luxury brands leverage Formula E sponsorship for immersive customer engagement
Talking about giants, Nestlè KitKat and Formula One: A Sweet Victory
In a groundbreaking move, KitKat secured a multi-year sponsorship deal with Formula One beginning in 2025, coinciding with its 90th anniversary and F1’s 75th. The partnership aims to enhance KitKat’s global presence, particularly among consumers under 30 years old. Advertising is set to debut at the Mexico and Brazil Grand Prix races before expanding globally by 2026 . This collaboration illustrates how a legacy brand can rejuvenate its image and connect with new demographics through motorsport.
F1 Strategic Advantages for Challenger Brands
Global Reach & Diverse Audiences
Formula 1 delivers 100 million+ weekly viewers, rivaling major global sporting events—ideal for how niche brands capture global markets via motorsport
Enhanced Brand Credibility
Association with elite teams transfers values of precision, innovation, and excellence to emerging brands, demonstrated in motorsport sponsorship credibility examples
Rich Content & Engagement
Behind-the-scenes access, driver interviews, and branded fan experiences fuel motorsport storytelling marketing strategies, deepening consumer connections
B2B Networking & Partnerships
Race weekends double as high-level networking forums, facilitating collaborations beyond consumer reach, from tech R&D to supply-chain innovations.
Maximizing ROI: Best Practices for Challenger Brands
Align with Brand Values
Ensure that the motorsport partnership aligns with the brand’s core values and target audience. Authenticity resonates with consumers and enhances the effectiveness of the sponsorship.
Leverage Digital Platforms
Utilize social media and digital marketing to amplify the sponsorship’s impact. Sharing behind-the-scenes content, interactive campaigns, and real-time updates can engage audiences and extend reach.
Measure and Analyze Performance
Implement robust analytics to assess the sponsorship’s performance. Metrics such as brand awareness, engagement rates, and conversion metrics provide insights into the partnership’s effectiveness and inform future strategies.
How motorsport sponsorship is changing
Motorsport sponsorship is no longer the exclusive domain of corporate behemoths. Challenger brands across various industries are harnessing the power of the racetrack to accelerate growth, enhance credibility, and connect with global audiences. Through strategic partnerships, compelling storytelling, and leveraging digital platforms, these brands are transforming from niche players into global icons. As the motorsport sponsorship landscape continues to evolve, the opportunities for challenger brands to make their mark are more accessible and promising than ever. The racetrack is now open to innovators ready to race for worldwide recognition.
Riccardo Tafà
Managing Director for RTR Sports, Riccardo graduated in law at the University of Bologna. He began his career in London in PR, then started working in two and four-wheelers. A brief move to Monaco followed before returning to Italy. There he founded RTR, first a consulting firm and then a sports marketing company which, eventually, he moved back to London.
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Read MoreWhy choose RTR Sports Marketing
In 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.
Save time and money
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.
The right information, the right choice
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 beating heart
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.
Objective measurements for a certain return
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.
Sit back, relax, we’ll take care of it
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.
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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