Inside Audi Revolut’s Miami Grand Prix Weekend and Formula 1’s New Partnership Standard
A first-hand look at how Audi and Revolut used Miami to show why modern F1 partnerships now depend on alignment, execution and lived experience.
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Written by David Skilling
At the Miami Grand Prix, it became clear very quickly that modern Formula 1 partnerships are built to be experienced, not just seen.
I attended the Grand Prix as a guest of Revolut, and the Audi Revolut Formula 1 Team partnership didn’t feel like a logo placed on top of a race weekend. It felt like a controlled environment, where the cars, the branding, the lounge and the guest experience all reflected the same premium standard.
That consistency stood out because Formula 1 can quickly expose weak alignment. A brand can look convincing in isolation, but once it reaches the paddock, where everything is timed, watched and compared across the grid, any gap between positioning and execution becomes difficult to sustain.
Revolut became the title sponsor of the Audi F1 Team ahead of the German manufacturer’s first season in Formula 1, starting in 2026. That’s important to note because Revolut didn’t join a finished identity with a deep F1 memory bank; it joined a project still being built in public, where early perception forms at the same time as the operation itself.
That idea was clear when I spoke to Deborah Wajsbrot, Head of Growth Partnerships at Revolut, ahead of the weekend, who framed the deal less as a traditional sponsorship and more as a shared build, explaining that Revolut is “not just buying a badge on someone else’s story, but co-authoring one from the beginning.”
Audi’s entry into Formula 1 comes with a lot of pressure, because it’s a huge international auto brand with a strong legacy in other motorsports, and expectations extend beyond performance into how the entire operation is built and presented. F1 teams are judged as systems, where fans read the car, the leadership, the development curve, the drivers, the garage and the commercial partners as one entity.
The Revolut partnership is a key factor in that system, with a public explanation of the partnership being built around shared ideas of speed, technology, global ambition, and premium positioning, and it holds up. Miami showed me how that alignment translates into a real-world experience across the weekend.
Miami is also the location to give that alignment a live test, because it’s one of the least traditional environments on the calendar and, in F1 terms, it’s still a relatively new event. Since joining Formula 1 in 2022, the race has sat around Hard Rock Stadium as part sporting event, part hospitality operation and part American entertainment property, which means every partner is operating in a space where presentation and experience matter almost as much as placement.
That backdrop is part of why Formula 1 makes sense for Revolut in the first place. As Wajsbrot explained, the company isn’t approaching sport purely as a visibility play, but as a way to position itself “at the intersection of finance, culture, and sport,” showing up where its customers’ passions already sit rather than trying to redirect them.
The Audi lounge made the premium positioning feel intentional rather than decorative. From the finish-line view, sitting just above the pit lane, to how guests were moved through the weekend by the team, the experience held the same standard throughout, which is where consistency starts to matter, because no natter how well prepared a brand is with its production, the human element has to maintain the same standard, and it did.
For regular readers, you know by now that I have a thirst for unpacking brand partnerships, and from my perspective, Revolut’s brand fit with Audi F1 makes total sense because the company already operates in a fast-moving, data-heavy, finance-driven world that mirrors Formula 1’s internal language more closely than most categories. The sport is built on rapid decisions, seamless technology, and pressure to deliver, which gives Revolut a natural entry point without forcing the connection.
That alignment runs deeper than surface-level messaging, as Revolut has already confirmed that its business platform will be integrated into the team’s financial operations, and that operational layer reflects what Wajsbrot described as a focus on building “something that goes beyond traditional finance,” where the product itself becomes part of the experience rather than sitting alongside it, another example of partnerships being fully integrated into the system of an F1 team.
What stood out to me during my time with the team was that everyone involved seemed aligned and clear about what the partnership is supposed to deliver. That matters because being a title partner of a Formula 1 team is a huge responsibility across marketing, operations, hospitality, communications, and internal understanding, and, from what I saw, the execution was fully under control.
Audi brings its own version of that same logic. The brand is entering Formula 1 with the expectations that come with premium automotive heritage and a manufacturer-level commitment, while also having to operate like a challenger because it’s building credibility in a championship where history helps, but lap time still decides how seriously people pay attention.
The appointment of Allan McNish as Racing Director ahead of the Miami Grand Prix adds another layer to that process. Audi is still building the competitive structure while already racing within it, which makes the surrounding partnership architecture more important, as every visible decision contributes to whether the project feels coherent, and whether partners improve how the team operates, how guests experience the race, and how fans understand what the team is trying to become.
That broader role is also why Miami has become important to the Formula 1 ecosystem. As Wajsbrot pointed out, the event’s position across sport, fashion, music, culture and lifestyle creates an environment where brands can connect with a younger, more diverse and globally connected audience, while also building relevance in key markets like the United States.
Getting the full race-weekend experience made that clearer. Watching from the lounge near the finish line offered one view of the partnership, but stepping into the garage during the race and walking the pit lane before revealed the other side, where Formula 1’s controlled environment and restricted access add another layer to the premium brand experience that shows why it’s one of the most desirable fan experiences in sports, from race fanatics to general sports fans, celebrities, and the movers and shakers of popular culture, everyone wants a piece of the action.
The weekend, for me, wasn’t only about being treated well as a guest, although I was, and I appreciate the Audi Revolut Formula 1 team for the experience; it was about seeing whether the partnership could hold the same standard across every touchpoint. And it certainly did!
Formula 1 still requires the racing event to set the standard, but the brand partners play an integral role in shaping the experience. What the weekend showed me was that Audi and Revolut have the foundations of a partnership that works in practice, not just in a press release, because the alignment wasn’t just stated; it was delivered.
To get a better sense of how Revolut is approaching the partnership, here’s the full conversation with Deborah Wajsbrot, Head of Growth Partnerships, that took place ahead of the Miami Grand Prix.
Title sponsorship of a new F1 team is a different kind of bet than buying space on an established team; you’re building together with Audi F1. What’s the most exciting thing about that?
For Revolut, one of the most exciting things about our partnership with Audi Revolut F1 Team is that we’re not just buying a badge on someone else’s story, but are co-authoring one from the beginning. It’s an opportunity to bring our 70 million customers closer to the world of motorsport in a meaningful way.
By integrating Revolut Business into the team’s core operations and creating exclusive benefits for our retail users, we’re building something that goes beyond traditional finance. We want to deliver unique and seamless experiences that connect our customers with their passions, helping turn everyday finance into something far more memorable.
There are strong connections between fintech brands and elite motorsport, speed, precision, and technology advancement. Was that a big part of why F1 felt like the right Fit?
These elements are definitely relevant for us. Formula 1 is one of the fastest-growing sports globally, and its innovation focus makes it a natural fit for us. However, when we choose sports partnerships, our goal is simple: to be seen as a true lifestyle brand, showing up where our customers’ passions already are, positioning ourselves at the intersection of finance, culture, and sport. We want to be part of the moments that matter to them, becoming an integral part of their journey, not just their finance app.
What makes Formula 1 particularly powerful is its growing cultural relevancy and ability to operate at a global scale while still connecting at a local level through GP activations. That allows us to go beyond visibility and integrate our products in ways that solve real fan needs - whether that’s access to tickets, exclusive experiences, special edition products, or seamless payment solutions that enhance the overall experience.
The F1 fanbase has shifted, leaning towards a younger, global, and more female fanbase than it did ten years ago. Was that also a reason why Revolut decided to get involved in the sport?
Absolutely. F1’s audience is currently younger, more diverse, and incredibly tech-savvy. This fanbase shares the same mindset as ours: they’re international, they value precision, and they expect innovation.
The growth of the female audience represents a massive cultural shift that we’re proud to support and engage with as we continue to grow our own global community. For us, the opportunity isn’t just to be seen, but to be at the heart of a cultural change.
Modern sponsorship in sport isn’t just about logo visibility; it’s a lot about stories and brands owning a narrative. Where does this partnership sit on that spectrum, and how much of that is shaped by Audi F1 being a new disruptor team, much like Revolut disrupted finance?
The “new player” is a compelling narrative that resonates with us: as Audi enters Formula 1 to compete with long-established teams, we’re similarly challenging traditional players in financial services. That shared ambition makes the partnership a strong and authentic fit. We look for partners who are true leaders in their fields and who reflect our own standards of excellence. Audi embodies this, with a strong heritage of performance and innovation.
Miami is one of the newer races on the F1 calendar, but it’s arguably become F1’s most culturally loaded weekend, sitting somewhere between sport, fashion week, and music festival. What does that specific backdrop unlock for Revolut?
Miami is unlike any other race weekend on the F1 calendar. It brings together sport, fashion, music, culture, and lifestyle in a way that attracts a younger, diverse, globally connected crowd, and being present here is a natural fit for where we are as a brand.
Our presence in Miami will help accelerate our story in the US, putting us in front of this influential audience at exactly the right time. But our ambition here goes well beyond any single event or group, as evidenced by our US bank charter application, which we filed in March. We’re focused on building a product designed to work across this market, for all people.
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