Audi will make its Formula 1 debut this year, taking over from Sauber and ending the Swiss team’s 32-year run in the sport. One of Audi’s first major jobs was to secure a new title sponsor after Stake left following Sauber’s exit. The team chose British banking company Revolut, with the outfit now known as the Audi Revolut F1 Team.

Speaking on the Business of Sport podcast, Revolut’s Chief Marketing Officer Antoine Le Nel stressed how important brand identity is in Formula 1. He said a sponsor must fit naturally with the look and values of a team. In that context, he criticised Ferrari’s current livery, which includes a large blue HP logo on its traditional red car.

“No offence, but I think what HP and Ferrari have done to their cars is not good from a design perspective,” Le Nel said. “How can you put blue on a red car? This is not good.” He praised other partnerships instead, pointing to Mastercard and McLaren, as well as Google Chrome’s branding, as strong examples of how sponsors can work well with a team’s design.

Le Nel explained that the partnership between Audi and Revolut felt natural from the start. He said both brands see themselves as disruptors, taking on established rivals in very competitive fields. Audi is entering F1 from scratch, building its own chassis, engine and power unit, rather than buying parts from elsewhere.

He added that this approach mirrors how Revolut operates as a company. “We build everything ourselves, from the ground up,” Le Nel said. “That’s exactly what Audi is doing.” According to him, both sides shared the same goals and mindset, which made the sponsorship an easy fit as Audi targets becoming a title contender by 2030.