Sponsor Debrief: Monaco Grand Prix

The forced two-stop didn't work as well as planned to improve racing action (or at all, really), but even that couldn't dampen the sparkle & glamour of the Monaco Grand Prix weekend.

Jun 05, 2025

Admittedly, despite the usual dull Sunday racing we have come to expect, I do have a soft spot for the Monaco Grand Prix for one key reason - it’s Charles Leclerc’s home race. And it’s Monaco. The events, parties and activations are taken to a higher level. Sponsors want to go big and stand out. No expense is spared.

Monaco’s First-Ever Title Sponsor

For the first time in it’s long history, this year’s Grand Prix de Monaco had a Title Sponsor onboard - TAG Heuer. The luxury watchmaker is the perfect title sponsor for this prestigious event in my opinion. Both Monaco and TAG Heuer exude elegance, lavishness and a level of exclusivity. The sponsorship follows the return of the watch brand to the sport this year as Official Timekeeper, but it’s no stranger to F1 having been around since the 1970’s and created multiple motorsport-inspired timepieces. Their relationship with the Monaco event also runs deep, partnering with event organisers, Automobile Club of Monaco, since 2011.

Chief Marketing Officer of TAG Heuer, George Ciz reflected on the sponsorship by drawing on the connections between the brand and the famous Principality, "The links that we have with this Principality are incredible. Our most iconic collection is TAG Heuer Monaco, which was the very first square chronograph introduced in 1969.” . The elevation of the partnership between Monaco and TAG Heuer this year also now means that all 24 races on the current F1 calendar have a Title Sponsor.

The brand not only elevated their partnership this season on paper but in practice too, ensuring that the iconic streets & port of Monaco were a visual storyboard for the historic brand’s presence in F1. Some of the elements of the marketing activations & events that took place across the weekend in Monaco were:

→ A bespoke TAG Heuer logo was created specifically for Monaco, to be displayed on advertising boards around the circuit’s streets and in the famous tunnel throughout sessions.

→ In advance of the weekend, TAG Heuer released three new “Monaco” timepieces, including a TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph x Gulf special edition piece channeling some of the iconic liveries of F1 past.

→ A pre-race celebration was held on the Saturday evening (undeniably the most exciting day of the Monaco Grand Prix weekend for many), welcoming a host of guests including industry media personalities, partners of drivers and Hollywood’s most elite.

→ TAG Heuer had their House Ambassador, actor Patrick Dempsey in attendance at Monaco, who also took the honour of waving the chequered flag at the end of the race - of course while bearing a TAG Heuer timepiece on his wrist.

→ As the brand is also an Official Partner of Red Bull Racing, they hosted a private yacht event with Team Principal & CEO Christian Horner and Patrick Dempsey in conversation with Naomi Schiff to share their passion for motor racing.

Now let’s take a look at the partnership from a different perspective - and that is of the casual fan. Because let’s be honest, luxury brands like TAG Heuer (and the Monaco lifestyle in general), are targeted at a very specific, wealthy demographic. For most fans, owning a TAG Heuer piece could only ever be a distant dream. So what does the investment in, and the amplification of the partnership mean to the rest of us? For me, it just adds to the wonder that is the Monaco Grand Prix weekend. The racing may not be exciting, but the spectacle always will be. The action on track takes place during Qualifying on Saturday, and for this one race event out of 24, that’s ok. Most fans have accepted and are at peace with this reality, and yet many would hate to see Monaco disappear from the calendar - it exudes a certain aura that other events will never be able to replicate. The partnership events are even more theatrical, the parties are louder, the sight & noise of Port Hercules filling up with yachts throughout the weekend is spectacular. Fans at home seem to agree, with this year’s Monaco Grand Prix becoming the most-watched F1 television event ever in the U.S., pulling in 2.3 million viewers. And while TAG Heuer may have been playing host to some of the world’s most A-list stars, they also brought fans around the world in on that experience through their brand presence around Monaco, social content & affiliations with key F1 characters throughout the weekend - but without trying to suggest that their key demographic was anyone other than the utmost elite. They understand and recognise the Monaco Grand Prix for what it is, and went all in on amplifying the prestige and the glamour of the event and shared that with fans watching at home.

OKX & McLaren Channel the French Riviera

The term “old money” was thrown around a lot in 2024 and employed by many brands in their marketing strategies, but for McLaren and team partner OKX, they’re hoping to shift the perspective from old money to new money. The team and their Official Crypto Partner released their fourth special edition livery for this year’s Monaco and Spanish Grand Prix events, channeling the French Riviera and McLaren’s rich history - and it was visually stunning. The activation’s tagline summarises and positions the two brands collaboration aptly - McLaren seeped in motorsport history, and OKX revolutionising the crypto space with digital innovation.

The activation encapsulated all touchpoints (across both the Monaco and Spanish Grand Prix weekends). The livery was revealed in front of a private audience of media and content creators amidst the stunning backdrop of Monaco’s famous harbour. McLaren’s social media posts adapting the vintage branding, and drivers Lando Norris & Oscar Piastri wearing custom white race suits also featuring their names & racing numbers in the retro typography. There surely can’t be a higher success metric for OKX than seeing their branded race suit on the top step of the podium after Lando Norris took his maiden Monaco win on Sunday. A sleek activation well executed on one of sport’s most viewed stages.

APM Monaco’s Home Hero

One of Charles Leclerc’s personal partners is APM Monaco, a jewellery brand founded in 2012 by husband & wife Phillipe and Kika Prette. The brand aims to embody the chicness of the South of France, and has expanded to 500 boutiques globally. Since partnering with the Monegasque driver, the brand has released Leclerc and Leclerc Brothers collaborations with Charles and his younger brother Arthur acting as ambassadors. Unsurprisingly, the brand uses the opportunity of Leclerc’s annual home race to showcase their partnership (and that of other Brand Ambassadors) under the French Riviera sunset, this year hosting the APM Monaco Cannes 2025 Soirée.

*Photo Source: Charles Leclerc’s Instagram*

While Leclerc is one driver who has now raked up a considerable list of personal sponsors, this one stands out as one of the most genuine, authentic partnerships. Leclerc is very proud of being a Monegasque and of getting to race (and win) on the same streets he used to travel to go to school when he was a child. Representing APM Monaco and sporting their pieces throughout the year, Leclerc gets to carry a piece of home with him.

Meshki Capitalise with Alexandra Saint Mleux

As mentioned in a previous post, there has been a noticeable move from brands, mainly in the fashion and beauty spaces, to capitalise on the growing popularity of F1 WAGs and their visibility and access to the world’s most exclusive paddock. One collaboration that fans have been anticipating for the past number of months is between Charles Leclerc’s partner Alexandra Saint Mleux and Australian fashion brand Meshki, and it finally happened with the release of the Alexandra Saint Mleux Resort Collection. Eagle-eyed fans spotted the brand subtly teasing this on their socials for the last while, dropping subtle hints & referencing Alex being a long-time wearer of the brand. Alex’s popularity among fans definitely rivals any of the other partners on the grid, amassing over two million Instagram followers since last summer and now working with brands in her own right separate to any F1-affiliated deals.

While Charles was attending and hosting multiple sponsor events in the lead-up to his home race, Alex also took the opportunity to promote her own side quests. The brand hosted a collection launch dinner with Alex & close friends in Monaco. Alex also wore items from the collection across the weekend’s events, getting snapped in pieces ahead of the official launch.

With a lot of the sizes now sold out on Meshki’s website, and a lot of positive online reaction to & interest in the collaboration (1.2 million Reels views on the initial announcement video and 1.1 million Reels views on the collection release date), this seems to be a resounding success from Meshki’s perspective. And a reminder, this is all without any official partnership with any team or entity in the sport itself - but it is capitalising on the buzz around F1. It will also be interesting to see how Alex continues to select & promote the brands she collaborates with, and whether she stays loyal to Meshki and beauty brand Rhode which whom she has featured in marketing campaigns, or whether the positive reaction to her collaborations results in her venturing out more.

PepsiCo Take Their Place at the Table

2025 has been the year of landmark partnerships announced by F1, and in particular a stark increase in the number of food & beverage companies teaming up with the sport. The latest to be added to the roster is FMCG giant PepsiCo. The deal will see three of the parent company’s brands partner with the sport as part of a multi-year agreement. The deal sees Gatorade become Official Sports Drink, Sting Energy become Official Energy Drink and Doritos become Official Savoury Snack Partner.

The deal will see, among other things, PepsiCo activate at tracks for 21 races on the calendar, display trackside advertising boards, hospitality experiences, and have exclusivity over products supplied at race events.

The partnership also extends to F1 Academy as a further step in PepsiCo’s commitment to women’s sport. The company currently partners with UEFA Women's Football (including the Women's Champions League and the Women's Euros) in a long-term deal in place until 2030. There has been some conversation and criticism around the partnerships currently in place in F1 Academy and how they are actually helping to practically support and highlight women’s involvement in sport and actively address the challenges that most female drivers have to overcome in order to reach the same levels of their male counterparts. It would be great to see PepsiCo be more proactive in this regard. For example, through their women’s football involvement, PepsiCo support grassroots programmes helping to provide coaching & training supports.

Other Notable Mentions

Aston Martin F1 Team have announced they now have a Official Smartphone Licensee, realme.
MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys (both divisions of the MSC Group) have extended their partnership with F1 until at least 2030.

The Fun Stuff

The annual Monaco charity Drivers’ Soccer Match took place again this year, with Pierre Gasly, Carlos Sainz, Isack Hadjar, Fernando Alonso, Ollie Bearman and Kimi Antonelli all taking part.