Santander joins F1 as official partner after Ferrari exit

Santander has signed a multi-year deal with F1 which will begin at the start of 2025 after the bank’s sponsorship agreement with Ferrari expires.

It was announced last week that Ferrari and Santander would go their separate ways at the end of the year, with UniCredit then confirmed as a sponsor for the Italian squad moving forward.

Having been involved in the series since 2006, sponsoring at different times McLaren, Ferrari and the British Grand Prix, the new deal as official retail banking partner is a tightening of Santander’s ties to F1.

It was also confirmed in the press release announcing the new partnership that “the bank’s logos will feature on trackside signage at a number of Grand Prix across the season taking place in Santander’s main markets: in the US, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, and in the UK, among others. The bank will also provide Formula 1 fans with exclusive content and activations throughout the partnership.”

Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren, Marc Gene, Ferrari, Jenson Button, McLaren and Natalie Pinkham, Sky TV, the Santander bikes

Photo by: Sutton Images

Speaking about the deal, F1 president Stefano Domenicali said: “I am delighted that Santander, an incredible global brand, is becoming an Official Partner of Formula 1.

“Santander has a proud history in our sport, and they know the huge platform we can provide to amplify their story to customers around the globe.”

While developing into a global bank, Santander’s roots are in northern Spain and it is understood that the company would sponsor races in Madrid and Barcelona, should both be included on the 2026 F1 calendar.

This year marks the end of Santander's three-season sponsorship deal with Ferrari. The Spanish bank was also previously a partner to the Scuderia from 2010-17.