Marketing efforts make up an essential part of getting sponsorships in motorsports. As with many sports, some brands become known for their involvement in certain sports. Throughout motorsport history, there have been many legendary sponsorship partnerships that will be remembered throughout time.
The variety of sponsorships within Motorsport could almost be seen as a fast-moving billboard showcasing top international brands’ passion for racing.
John Player Special – Lotus
John Player Special tobacco sponsored Ayrton Senna’s 1986 F1 season, where he used his Lotus 72. The cigarette brand was well known for supporting Lotus driving teams in F1 for many years to come. The other drivers who went with the John player’s unique colors include Mario Andretti, Nigel Mansell, and Ronnie Peterson.
Gulf Oil – Porsche
Gulf oil is one of the most well-known sponsorships throughout Motorsport’s vintage racing series. The Porsche 917 k was branded with the Gulf Oil color scheme of blue, red, and white. The relationship between Porsche and Gulf Oil has been a strong partnership with sponsoring many races. This partnership was seen as a lucrative way to market the oil company to those wanting performance from their cars.
Castrol – Toyota
Castrol and Toyota have had a long-standing relationship with sponsorships in the offroad sector of motorsports, with the Toyota WRC team’s corollas showcasing a legendary look that will be remembered. Castrol furthermore has been active in a variety of industries in motorsports, including Formula E, Formula 1, and MotoGP.
Red Bull – Sauber
Red Bull first got into motorsports sponsoring when they took on supporting Sauber from 1995 to 2004. From 2005 Red bull stood as their team in F1 due to buying over the jaguar squad from Ford. The Redbull team later won four back-to-back titles between 2010 and 2013 with drier Sebastian Vettel and was seen as a rising team of star drivers showcasing red bulls’ growth in motorsports teams and sponsorships.
With these iconic relationships between sponsorships and manufacturers, it is quite clear how important sponsorships and marketing go hand in hand in any sport. Throughout history, these iconic partnerships are still known.