by VALERIO BARRETTA
MasterCard wants to return to F1
Generous sponsorships have always been the bread and butter of Formula 1, and in recent days a hunt for them has been unleashed title sponsor which today led Ferrari to formalize its agreement with HP. In recent years several teams have signed very rich agreements to change their official name (just think of Red Bull with Oracle, Aston Martin with Aramco, Haas with MoneyGram and RB with VISA and Cash App just to mention the most important). Another team could be added to the list, and it is McLaren.
The Woking team, as reported SportsBusinessis in the front line for an endorsement deal with MasterCard as main sponsor, and its official name could change from “McLaren Formula 1 Team” to “McLaren Mercedes MasterCard”: “We are constantly exploring how new opportunities can complement the value we offer our customers, but there is nothing new to share at this time“, this is the comment of the multinational.
Ferrari, Mercedes and Aston Martin are also reportedly in discussions with MasterCard over a potential sponsorship deal. Since the Scuderia di Maranello has reached an agreement with HP, it is possible that the negotiations with MasterCard will be limited to a lower level sponsorship.
MasterCard in F1
For MasterCard it would be a return to F1 after more than 20 years: from mid-1997 to 2001 it was in fact a sponsor of Jordan. The multinational leader in payment services was already title sponsor of an F1 team: the experience with Lola in 1997, however, it was dramatic and lasted only one race weekend, when in Melbourne Ricardo Rosset and Vincenzo Sospiri failed to qualify for the GP driving a very slow car, which went 8″ per lap slower than its rivals.
