F1 witnessed a turning point in 2024. The sport went from hopelessly predictable races all season long to one where predicting the driver or team that would win a particular race became challenging. People who had given up on the sport became fans again, and thanks in part to Netflix’s ‘Drive to Survive’, the sport has more fans than ever before.
Of course, businesses have noticed the increasing popularity and have been scrambling to get a piece of the sponsorship pie. There’s a lot to look forward to in the 2025 season, and the fans are not the only ones eagerly waiting in anticipation. Off the track, we have some exciting developments:
LVMH is now an F1 sponsor; Tag Heuer is the new timing partner (wonder how Rolex feels about losing this gig), and Gordon Ramsay will be taking care of guests who elect to try out ‘The Garage’, which was introduced last year. The Paddock ticket used to be the best you could get in F1, but now multiple hospitality tickets exist that (particularly in Monaco and Las Vegas) could buy you a small house.
Gordon Ramsay Takes on F1 Garage
F1 Garage hospitality was launched last year, promising all kinds of perks, including gourmet meals during the race weekend. Now, F1 is kicking it up a notch by partnering with Gordon Ramsay to deliver the cuisine and likely add a bit of color to the weekend.
The celebrity chef participated in F1 garage last year in Las Vegas, where he delivered his signature dishes at the $35,000 per head Ramsay’s Garage experience with live cooking stations (perhaps the most expensive beef wellingtons you’ll ever try).
F1 Garage will be at 10 races in 2025 starting from the Miami Grand Prix, when Ramsay and his team will get creative with mouth-watering grand prix-themed cuisine with heavy use of local ingredients.
Ramsay, who also happens to be a big F1 fan, is likely to spice up the race weekend for F1 Garage ticket holders and bring more to the event than just incredibly competitive racing. The other F1 garage perks may end up being just a sideshow.
Tag Heuer returns as an F1 timing partner
Tag Heuer is no stranger to motorsport. The brand has a seemingly endless collection of motorsport-themed watches and was the first luxury brand to have its logo on a Formula 1 car. That was back in 1969. The brand was also the first to sponsor a Formula 1 team in 1971.
Since then, the company has partnered with multiple F1 teams over the years, including Ferrari, McLaren, and most recently, Oracle Red Bull. What’s less obvious is that the watchmaker used to be the official timekeeper for Formula 1 (from 1992 to 2003).
Other F1 partnerships include collaborations with drivers like the legendary Ayrton Senna, who wore TAG Heuer watches in all three seasons where he won the driver’s championship. With LVMH (Tag Heuer’s parent company ) taking a keen interest in F1, it’s no surprise that they have pushed to reclaim the honor of being the timekeeper for the world’s premiere racing series.
That’s just one aspect of LVMH’s ten-year global partnership with Formula 1, which is likely to increase the profile of the sport even more. Expect to see plenty of LVMH branding, including Louis Vuitton, Moet Hennessy, and TAG Heuer on race day.
Clearly, LVMH sees an opportunity here, but what the ubiquitous luxury brand brings to the sport beyond banners and logos remains to be seen. Regardless, F1 2025 is shaping up to be what could end up being the most exciting season in the modern era and we haven’t even added the racing action to the conversation. Look out for our analysis that reveals why you should be excited about the F1 races in 2025.
