Rolex has not renewed its partnership as Official Timekeeper of Formula 1 grand prix; some think that the crown brand wants to move towards more virtuous, more “green friendly” sports while others believe that LVMH and its billions might have outbid themselves to a level where Rolex no longer wanted to follow?
Some (Forbes in particular) speak of 50 million euros of sponsorship per year for Rolex and 150 million for the LVMH group. Result ? It is the watch brand TAG Heuer which is taking up the torch of F1 timing.
As a reminder, TAG Heuer was the first luxury house to see its logo appear on a Formula 1 car in 1969 and the first to sponsor a team in 1971.
With 239 victories, 613 podiums, 9,471 points, 11 Constructors' World Championships and 15 Drivers' World Championships to his name thanks to his links with various teams, his relationship with Formula 1 has been one of the most prolific figures in history.
During the 1960s, as Formula 1 continued to grow in popularity, Heuer models became closely linked to motorsport and drivers. One of the first key moments takes us back to Jochen Rindt, the famous Formula 1 driver: in 1970, he posthumously won the Drivers' and Constructors' World Championships for Lotus with the Heuer Autavia 2446 watch that accompanied him throughout his career.
A pivotal moment occurred when Jack Heuer, then CEO of the family business, met a talented young pilot from Fribourg, Switzerland: Jo Siffert.
To help promote and support the launch of the Caliber 11, a revolutionary automatic chronograph, an agreement was reached with Siffert who planned to place a logo on the Rob Walker Lotus 49B that he would use during the 1969 season, as well as add the Heuer coat of arms to his racing suit and wear an Autavia 1163 model with a white dial, powered by the new movement.
This event marks a turning point because it is the first time that a watchmaker or a luxury brand not belonging to classic automobile suppliers has sponsored a Formula 1 driver and seen its logo displayed on a car.
The beginnings of a revolutionary strategy established by Jack Heuer that will completely redefine sports marketing in the motor racing sector.
In 1985, Heuer was bought by the Techniques d'Avant Garde group, which also owns the McLaren Formula 1 team. The company then took its new name, TAG Heuer, and its new logo appeared on the windshield of the MP4/2C, the car that won the world drivers' championship with Alain Prost in 1986.
The same year, the house launched a revolutionary new watch whose name seemed apt: the TAG Heuer Formula 1. With its brightly colored cases, bracelets and dials, this model became a true cultural icon and met with great success, thus confirming the strong link uniting TAG Heuer to motorsport and becoming the essential watch of the time.
Another pivotal moment was the arrival in 1988 of a promising young Brazilian driver named Ayrton Senna to the McLaren team. From the following season, he wore TAG Heuer watches and remained loyal to the house until winning the World Drivers' Championship three times.
Senna sadly passed away in 1994, but his legacy is carried on by TAG Heuer. Indeed, the watchmaker continues to work with the Senna Foundation, adopting the competitive spirit and personal values that make Senna a true icon in the eyes of the world.
In 1992, TAG Heuer entered into an agreement to become official timekeeper of Formula 1, leveraging its expertise to improve and develop the precision and reliability of timing solutions used in the sport.
In addition to data collection and processing, the system also breathes a new dimension of entertainment for viewers and the TAG Heuer logo visible on television screens around the world becomes an inseparable marker of sport.
At the dawn of the turn of the millennium, TAG Heuer took part in two World Drivers' Championship victories with McLaren and Miki Häkkinen in 1997 and 1998. The 2000s were a remarkable decade for Formula 1 with the transition from V10 engines and V8, the strong rivalries between recognized drivers and the arrival of rising stars in the paddocks.
Among the new names to join the McLaren team is that of Lewis Hamilton, a driver of rare talent who will achieve an impressive track record in F1 and win his first world drivers' championship in 2008 with a TAG Heuer watch on his wrist. Lewis Hamilton has been an IWC ambassador for several years now.
In 2015, after thirty years of successful collaboration, TAG Heuer and McLaren parted ways. In 2016, TAG Heuer joined Red Bull, a team that will quickly leave an indelible mark on the world of Formula 1.
The link between TAG Heuer and Oracle Red Bull Racing will be marked by four Drivers' World Championships thanks to the talent of Max Verstappen, as well as two consecutive Constructors' World Championships. The partnership between TAG Heuer and Oracle Red Bull Racing will continue alongside the brand's responsibilities as official timekeeper of Formula 1.
Owned for several years by Liberty Media, Formula 1 has become one of the most popular and culturally important sporting championships with 750 million fans worldwide, more than 90 million followers on social networks and an audience of increasingly young and diverse, since 42% of fans are now women and a third are under 35 years old.
Followed by 1.5 billion spectators, the 2024 season proved epic with an incredible battle between McLaren and Ferrari for the constructors' championship in Abu Dhabi.
