The rumored partnership was made official as Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team announced multi-year title sponsorship with HP. Also known by its full name, Hewlett Packard, the American technology giant is not wasting any time and starting from Miami, their blue logo will be noticeable on Ferrari’s livery, team kits and overalls. But aside from that and the change of the team’s name to Scuderia Ferrari HP, what does this mean for both companies?
The biggest reason behind all business decisions is usually money. For this one, no financial details were provided, but it surely has to be in millions, if not tens of millions dollars. Formula 1 is a particularly expensive sport and there’s no doubt Ferrari will use some extra money — next year, they’ll be paying Lewis Hamilton a generous salary of $100 million dollars, along with bonuses and other investments.
However, Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna also highlighted similar values, and his HP counterpart Enrique Lores described this “unique collaboration” a “natural fit”.
With technologies developing faster than ever before and being a crucial part of many aspects in motorsport, a partnership with the world’s second-largest PC vendor, developer of hardware components and many other things can come in handy. As part of the deal, Ferrari will use HP technologies such as adaptive personal computers and devices, collaboration products and services and printing capabilities.
On the other side, HP will get something probably every sponsor in the sports industry craves — visibility and platform.
Today, people are overwhelmed by advertising and campaigns. How many of us actually pay attention to them, remember the brands and offers? Ads on YouTube or Instagram are most often skipped, ads on television are a chance for bathroom break or grabbing snacks. Many people even pay for ad-free content.
Sports, on the other hand, are something people watch because they want to, because they care about it and like it. Thanks to that, a global deal with such a popular and loved team like Ferrari can be a great campaign for Hewlett Packard. As some say, Ferrari is almost a second religion in Italy, having a dedicated fanbase in the country and all around the world. Becoming part of their identity is one of the best advertisements HP could wish for.
I mean, can anyone visualize Ferrari’s team kit and race suit without the logo of one of their other sponsors, Shell?
In addition, just the announcement of the partnership alone gained attention — which can be connected to the special blue livery Ferrari will present in Miami next week. This timing definitely played into their cards, making it a great marketing move as both companies are very much talked about right now.
Plus, Enrique Lores from HP indicated it’s an opportunity to connect with new potential clients: “Through this unique collaboration, we also have an opportunity to reach new audiences, drive business growth, and create lasting impact for our shared clients and communities.”
Throughout the press releases, there has been an ongoing topic of sustainability. The CEO of Ferrari talked about “commitment to a sustainable future, from carbon neutrality to the education of the younger generation”.
What exactly does that mean and if there are any projects and further collaboration regarding these matters was not said, but it could be just related to the policy of both companies. HP believes in making the world a better place based on what’s written on their websites, and Ferrari is of course taking part in F1’s journey to Net Zero Carbon by 2030, or sponsoring Maya Weug in F1 Academy.
Now, there is no way of predicting anything, but it’ll be interesting to see how things will evolve between Scuderia Ferrari and Hewlett Packard. It’s possible we will witness a long-term partnership, and maybe it’ll become an inseparable part of the team’s identity — just like the mentioned Shell is.
