Sponsor Debrief: Canadian Grand Prix

Oh Canada, the weather and wildlife may make the track conditions unpredictable, but the behind-the-scenes activity at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was running like clockwork.

Jun 22, 2025

With the news announced during the week that the Canadian Grand Prix will remain on the Formula 1 calendar until at least 2035, Montréal has solidified itself as a North American constant throughout F1’s charge to dominate the Americas.

American Express Hosts in Montréal

Payments provider American Express have been partnered with F1 since 2023, originating as a regional deal which has since expanded to a global partnership seeing them become an Official Partner of the sport. The partnership now covers multiple territories and sees Amex cardholders internationally receive exclusive access to Grand Prix grandstand and hospitality tickets, complimentary race commentary radios at the track, curated fan experiences and elite onsite hospitality offerings.

Amex’s motorsport involvement this season also extends to F1 Academy, spotlighting female-owned businesses in select cities where F1A is racing. This furthers Amex’s long-term commitment to promoting women’s sports through their partnership with the Women’s Sports Foundation, an organisation which has invested over $100 million in women’s leadership globally, and which Amex committed to provide funding of $150,000 to last year.

F1 is the newest sport to be added to the list of multiple sports that Amex invests in globally (in fact F1 was it’s newest sports sponsorship venture in over a decade), having long-term deals with the NBA and WNBA, various tennis & golf tournaments and French football team Paris Saint-Germain.

With over 141 million cardholders globally who can avail of the F1 offering and with being a regular hospitality host at races throughout the season, Amex are in a unique position in the paddock where they can host fans and curate their own Amex Grand Prix experience. Amex members can purchase their exclusive Amex pre-sale tickets, eat & dine in the Maison Amex hospitality lounge, watch the racing action from premium viewpoints, and listen to the race commentary through their complimentary radios. It’s an end-to-end experience that Amex can truly own.

The Canadian Grand Prix was no exception. Cardholders could avail of the following perks throughout the weekend:

Additional perks at the dedicated F1 Parc Zone for fans.
Complimentary seat cushions and water bottle carriers were available at the Amex Pit Stop for attendees.
Premium track viewpoints to catch the racing action from the exclusive Trackside Lounge.
Complimentary race radios for both F1 & F1 Academy races.

This is a partnership that is truly mutually beneficial and Amex’s offerings for Grand Prix attendees highlights that partnerships are so much more than just having your branding visible at a race, but about curating a holistic experience.

KFC Seize a Tasty Opportunity

While not a sponsor of F1 or any team, KFC is one of a lengthy list of partners for F1: The Movie, releasing in cinemas next week. Promotion of the movie has been ongoing for almost two years now as filming has been taking place, but has ramped up significantly in the past few months as the global release date approaches. In addition to being a part of the global movie premiere in Times Square earlier this week, KFC also capitalised locally on the Canadian Grand Prix weekend.

The fast-food chain and creative agency Courage Inc. cleverly utilised the brand’s iconic red & white fried chicken buckets to visually mimic that of the striped kerbs on a F1 track through their #KFChicane nationwide out-of-home and social campaign. The visual-led campaign immediately puts the two brands front and centre and involves KFC in the buzz around the race event.

While there is a more official relationship developing through the movie promotion, this campaign does tie back into the conversation around the increase of guerilla marketing we have seen by brands capitalising on the hype and conversation around F1, without any official contracts in place. The campaign is also timely in tying in with the chain bringing back it’s Fill Ups meal deal to their menu as part the movie’s promotion.

A simple, smart & neat campaign.

Soho House Keeps F1 Exclusive

There has been some discussion online recently on whether or not the F1 sponsorship market is becoming too saturated, with over 300+ sponsors currently in the sport. The influx of sponsors means that the sport is shifting away from it’s previous reputation of being highly exclusive, inaccessible and closed-off to fans, to now welcoming a whole new influx of fans with open arms and pushing F1 to as many audiences globally as possible through various outlets. It also means that the element of ‘exclusivity’ is perhaps becoming more diluted, with the F1 pie now being sliced up & packaged through multiple channels, commercial deals and ways in on the action. With a growing list of celebrities, content creators and global figures being invited into the paddock, the previously behind-the-scenes garage action is now shared widely on social media every race weekend.

The private international members’ club Soho House has announced it’s partnership with Lewis Hamilton which will see House 44, an exclusive Paddock Club hospitality experience, pop-up at certain races throughout the year. As of the end of 2024, Soho House has over 204,000 members globally, which compared with Amex’s global membership, is a much more exclusive and limited consumer pool. The costly annual fees of the club also mean that the intended audience for experience is of a particular demographic, with the average fan undoubtedly priced out.

While the seven-time World Champion came under some criticism from fans recently for his partnership with AI company, Perplexity, this one feels a lot more authentic and aligned with Hamilton’s brand. Hamilton himself has been a member of Soho House for over a decade and of all the drivers on the grid has likely worked with more high-end brands and luxury houses. The hospitality suite will also be serving Hamilton’s own brand of non-alcoholic spirits, building on the connection with Hamilton and his personal ventures.

According to the website, guests will be able to “step into the suite to enjoy a special cocktail made with Hamilton’s non-alcoholic blue agave spirit Almave and exclusive DJ line-ups, alongside curated photography, items from new and archive Plus 44 collections, and a handpicked selection of racing memorabilia.”

Other Notable Mentions

Alpine Formula One Team have welcomed engineering firm to the team as a Team Partner.

The Fun Stuff

F1: The Movie officially premiered in New York during the week, with drivers, team principals and key figures from the sport in attendance as Times Square was transformed into a pop-up paddock. I’m hoping to do a full deep-dive post into all of the partnership activity around the production & promotion of Hollywood’s newest blockbuster (if I manage to find the time, there’s A LOT to cover).