Santander has announced a new sponsorship agreement with the Formula 1 team Williams Racing, set to begin in the 2025 season. This multi-year partnership will complement Santander's role as the official retail banking partner of Formula 1, also starting in 2025.
The sponsorship aims to provide exclusive experiences for customers, including access to paddock and driver events. It offers Banco Santander a platform to boost brand visibility globally, particularly in the United States where three F1 races are held. The collaboration will feature the Openbank brand on various parts of the race car and team apparel, along with participation in exclusive events and digital campaigns.
Juan Manuel Cendoya, global head of Communications, Corporate Marketing and Research at Santander and vice chair of Santander Spain, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership. James Vowles, Team Principal at Williams Racing, echoed this sentiment.
Santander branding is set to appear on cars during this week's end-of-season test in Abu Dhabi. The bank has been involved with Formula 1 since 2006 through sponsorships with teams like Scuderia Ferrari and McLaren.
As an official retail banking partner of Formula 1 from 2025 onward, Santander aims to strengthen its presence within key markets by showcasing both the Santander and Openbank brands. With a cumulative audience of 1.35 billion viewers worldwide in 2023 according to Nielsen data, Formula 1 remains one of the most watched sports globally. A significant portion of this audience resides within Santander’s primary markets.