This weekend, at the Austrian Grand Prix, one of the most watched events in the Formula 1 calendar, a Romanian brand will be present in a context usually reserved for the most important international names. For the first time in this season of the Formula 1 World Championship, the Banca Transilvania logo will be visible on the car of the McLaren Formula 1 team, on the steering wheel and on the helmets of drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Formula 1 has long outgrown the status of a sports competition. Today, the Grand Circus is one of the most powerful global communication platforms, followed by hundreds of millions of fans and associated with leading technology, innovation and performance.
For companies that choose to be present in this space, association with one of the championship’s top teams is an opportunity to convey values such as ambition, speed of adaptation and performance orientation.
Spielberg, a moment of special significance
The Red Bull Ring in Spielberg hosts one of the important races of the season this weekend. In this context, the presence of the BT logo on the McLaren single-seater takes on a special value.
It is not just about the appearance of a branding element in an international context, but about a new chapter in a partnership started last year and built together with Mastercard and the McLaren team.
For the Romanian public, the moment also has a symbolic dimension: a local brand is present at the center of an event watched worldwide, in a sport that has consolidated its status as a cultural and media phenomenon in recent years.
From visibility to experiences
This weekend, BT’s presence at Spielberg is not limited to the appearance of the logo on the car.
In parallel, Mastercard and Banca Transilvania bring two BT customers to Austria through Team Priceless, the global platform developed together with the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team.
The two winners of the McLaren Mastercard fan campaign will have access to a complete experience including transport, accommodation, access to the race and special activities in the McLaren universe.
Thus, the partnership goes beyond the traditional area of branding and enters that of direct experiences, giving fans the chance to see from the inside one of the most spectacular sports in the world.
The Spielberg experience is just the first step in a larger series of fan activations.
The partnership will continue at the Hungaroring race in July, reinforcing the direction in which the association between BT, Mastercard and McLaren aims to bring the motorsport community closer to authentic experiences.
In parallel, BT customers using the BT Mastercard McLaren enjoy benefits such as cashback on payments made on race weekends at restaurants and hotels abroad, as well as dedicated travel benefits.
