How FinTech is powering Formula 1's new commercial era
Formula 1's 2026 grid is packed with payments companies, digital banks and crypto firms. Here's a look at the partnerships shaping the sport's financial future.
Formula 1 has entered its most financially connected era yet.
What was once a sponsorship landscape dominated by automotive, telecommunications and consumer brands is now increasingly shaped by payments companies, digital banks, crypto platforms and financial infrastructure providers. Across the 2026 Formula 1 grid, financial services brands have become some of the sport's most visible commercial partners, using the championship as a platform to accelerate global brand awareness and customer engagement.
According to Fintech Branding Studio, the number of finance and fintech sponsors across the Formula 1 grid increased from around 20 in 2025 to 34 in 2026, representing growth of more than 70% in just one season. While crypto firms still account for roughly a quarter of all financial sponsors, they now share the grid with payment networks, digital banks, trading platforms and financial technology companies competing for the same global audience.
The result is more than a collection of sponsorships. Formula 1 has become one of the world's largest showcases for the financial services industry.
Formula 1's Most Financialized Grid Yet
The 2026 Formula 1 season represents a significant shift in how financial brands approach sports sponsorship.
Instead of simply placing logos on race cars, many companies are investing in title partnerships, integrated marketing campaigns, hospitality experiences, customer activations and digital engagement initiatives that extend far beyond race weekends.
Collectively, finance and fintech companies have committed well over half a billion dollars through multi-year agreements spanning global Formula 1 partnerships, team sponsorships and race-specific activations. These investments highlight motorsport's growing role as a platform for companies seeking premium positioning, international reach and long-term brand equity.
Payments: From Sidepods to Team Identities
Payment companies are leading this evolution.
Visa and Cash App anchor the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls project as co-title partners, with branding extending across team identity, car liveries, driver suits and hospitality programmes. Visa also maintains a broader presence within the Red Bull ecosystem, demonstrating how payment networks are expanding their footprint beyond individual sponsorship assets.
McLaren has taken a similar approach with Mastercard, whose partnership extends beyond sponsorship into the team's official identity as the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team. The agreement reflects a broader trend where payment companies are becoming embedded within team brands rather than remaining traditional commercial partners.
Airwallex complements McLaren's commercial ecosystem as the team's official payments partner, using Formula 1 to showcase its cross-border payment infrastructure to global enterprise customers. Audi's new Formula 1 project has adopted a similar strategy through its partnership with Aleph (Localpayment), integrating modern payment technology into the team's commercial platform from its inaugural season.
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Looking ahead, the payments landscape is set to become even stronger. Stripe will join Formula 1 through a multi-year partnership with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team, marking the company's first global sports sponsorship. The agreement further reinforces Formula 1's position as a preferred platform for leading payment companies seeking international visibility and premium brand association.
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Digital Banks Accelerate Global Expansion
Digital banks are using Formula 1 to compete alongside some of the world's most established financial institutions.
Revolut's title partnership with the Audi F1 Team positions the fintech across the team's cars, driver suits and garage branding throughout the 2026–2030 period. Widely reported to be worth more than US$50 million, the agreement gives Revolut one of the sport's most prominent fintech identities while supporting Audi's entry into Formula 1.
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Nu (Nubank) has established its own strategic presence through Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS, combining team branding with fan engagement initiatives designed to strengthen its premium positioning across international markets. In Brazil, Nubank also leverages the São Paulo Grand Prix through regional activations, fan experiences and local campaigns.
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Together, these partnerships demonstrate how digital banks are using Formula 1 to elevate their global profile while competing alongside traditional financial institutions.
Trading Platforms Continue to Expand
Trading platforms and investment brands now represent another significant category across the Formula 1 grid.
McLaren's commercial portfolio includes FxPro and OKX, providing strong representation across foreign exchange trading and digital assets. Red Bull Racing combines partners including AvaTrade and Rokt alongside Visa, reflecting the increasing convergence between financial services, commerce and technology.
Aston Martin has assembled one of the sport's most diversified financial partner portfolios. Pepperstone and Public represent trading and investing, while Coinbase and CoinPayments strengthen the team's presence within digital assets and crypto payments.
TGR Haas has also reshaped its commercial strategy around IC Markets, focusing on a more specialised foreign exchange partnership following the MoneyGram era.
Crypto Has Become Part of the Broader Financial Ecosystem
Crypto partnerships remain a defining feature of Formula 1, although their role has evolved considerably.
Rather than standing apart from traditional finance, crypto companies now appear alongside banks, payment providers and financial infrastructure firms throughout the paddock.
Crypto.com continues to lead the category through its global Formula 1 partnership and title sponsorship of the Miami Grand Prix. Team-level partnerships are distributed across the championship, including Binance with Alpine, Bybit and Gate.io with Red Bull Racing, Kraken with Williams, ApeCoin and BlockDAG with Alpine, and Nexo with Audi.
This integration reflects the broader maturation of digital assets within the financial services landscape.
Why It Matters
Formula 1 offers fintech companies a unique combination of global reach, premium positioning and commercial flexibility.
The sport allows brands to connect with international audiences through a narrative centred on speed, precision, innovation and technology—qualities that closely align with the positioning of modern financial services companies.
Beyond visibility, partnerships increasingly include customer rewards, payment integrations, digital experiences, co-branded products and business networking opportunities that generate value long after race weekends conclude.
The most notable development is not a single sponsorship but the broader ecosystem taking shape across the grid. Teams including McLaren, Audi, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS, Aston Martin, Williams and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls now represent interconnected financial platforms that combine payments, banking, trading and digital assets under one commercial roof.
For fintech marketers and sponsorship professionals, Formula 1 has become more than a branding opportunity. It is emerging as one of the industry's most influential commercial platforms.
2026 Formula 1 Sponsors by Financial Category
Payments & Card Networks
- Visa – Co-title partner, Visa Cash App Racing Bulls; broader Red Bull ecosystem
- Cash App – Co-title partner, Visa Cash App Racing Bulls
- Mastercard – Naming partner, McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team
- Airwallex – Official payments partner, McLaren
- Aleph (Localpayment) – Payments partner, Audi F1 Team
- CoinPayments – Crypto payments infrastructure, Aston Martin
- Stripe – Official partner, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team (from the 2027 season)
Digital Banks & Neo-Banks
- Revolut – Title partner, Audi F1 Team
- Nu (Nubank) – Official partner, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS; regional activations at the São Paulo Grand Prix
Trading, Investing & Brokerage Platforms
- FxPro – McLaren
- AvaTrade – Red Bull Racing
- Pepperstone – Aston Martin
- Public – Aston Martin
- IC Markets – TGR Haas
- XM Trading – Visa Cash App Racing Bulls
- Libertex – Audi F1 Team
- eToro – BWT Alpine
Crypto & Web3
- Crypto.com – Global Formula 1 partner; title sponsor of the Miami Grand Prix
- Binance – BWT Alpine
- OKX – McLaren
- Bybit – Red Bull Racing
- Gate.io – Red Bull Racing
- Coinbase – Aston Martin
- Kraken – Williams
- Nexo – Audi F1 Team
- ApeCoin – Alpine
- BlockDAG – Alpine
Other Financial Technology Partners
- Rokt – E-commerce and payments technology partner, Red Bull Racing
- Mobilize Financial Services – Automotive financial services partner, Alpine
As Formula 1's commercial landscape continues to evolve, finance and fintech companies are expected to play an even greater role in shaping the sport's sponsorship ecosystem. With new entrants continuing to join the grid and partnerships becoming increasingly integrated, the intersection of financial technology and motorsport shows no signs of slowing down.
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