Qualcomm has been an official partner of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team since signing a multi-year deal in 2023. It is a global corporation manufacturing software, semiconductors, services related to wireless technology and more.
Now, the company expands its partnership with the team by including Mercedes’ F1 Academy entry Doriane Pin, becoming her senior partner. It is focused on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon brand and is supposed to in particular highlight the Snapdragon X Elite processor, which powers the next-generation computers.
For Pin, this sponsorship, among other things, means the Snapdragon logo will be featured on her F1 Academy car livery, overalls, and even helmet — starting at the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend.
Don McGuire, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Qualcomm Incorporated, commented: “We are excited to expand our relationship by joining as a senior partner of the team’s F1 Academy entry, and support the inclusion and development of female drivers, like Doriane Pin.
“As part of our expanded relationship, we will continue to highlight the groundbreaking experiences that only Snapdragon can deliver, including the next generation PCs featuring the Snapdragon X Elite platform.”
By this deal, Qualcomm follows similar moves of other companies who have used their partnerships with a Formula 1 team to directly invest into the all-female racing series. Namely, it is Cisco signing a multi-year deal supporting McLaren’s Bianca Bustamante or Pepe Jeans being a partner of the F1 Academy Red Bull driver Hamda Al Qubaisi.
Hopefully, we will see more upcoming official partners supporting the young female talents in motorsport, as money and sponsorships are a huge part of their future careers and success. Just to be able to race in F1 Academy, every entrant is required to bring €150 000 in funding for a full season, to contribute to the season’s cost.
Getting more partners and sponsors is also good for attention, which the drivers always need to potentially build a fan base for themselves. All in all, being supported by only an F1 team or one big brand like Tommy Hilfiger or Charlotte Tilbury is important, but most of these girls do need more. And slowly, some brands are catching up and backing them.
Richard Sanders, Chief Commercial Officer of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, said in the official press release: “It is wonderful to expand our relationship with Qualcomm Technologies, highlighting the Snapdragon brand. Our shared passion for technology and innovation has seen several exciting innovations take place already within our existing relationship.
“We also both passionately believe in the power of technology to enrich lives through purposeful innovation. Expanding our relationship to our F1 Academy programme creates a powerful platform to do this and I am excited to see what we can achieve together.”
