Ferrari's just locked down a huge multi-year partnership with Japanese tech giant Rakuten, kicking off from the F1 2027 season. This is Rakuten's first proper dive into Formula 1, and it's a pretty interesting move considering the company was actually in advanced talks with McLaren back in 2014 for a title sponsorship worth about 40 million quid a year. Those negotiations fell through at the time, but now Rakuten's finally getting its F1 moment with the Scuderia.

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The timing's interesting too. Ferrari's had a much better 2026 campaign after struggling through a winless 2025, with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc each picking up a victory so far and the team sitting second in the constructors' standings. The Rakuten deal was announced following the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, and it'll officially start on January 1, 2027. Beyond just slapping their logo on the car, Rakuten's looking to leverage the partnership across their wider ecosystem, tapping into e-commerce, digital platforms, and exploring cross-industry innovation opportunities.

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Ferrari's been on a proper sponsorship shopping spree lately. They've added skincare brand SkinCeuticals as their first-ever dedicated skincare partner back in June, and they brought in wearable tech company Whoop before the 2026 season kicked off. Each deal shows the team's trying to diversify who they partner with and find brands that align with innovation and technology. Rakuten fits that mold perfectly, given their focus on digital ecosystems and tech capabilities.

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There's also an interesting connection through Oliver Bearman, the Haas driver. Bearman's a product of Ferrari's junior academy, and Rakuten Sports brokered an ambassadorial deal for him with pet lifestyle brand Vetreska back in May. He made his F1 debut with Ferrari in 2024 as a substitute, so there's definitely a thread connecting Rakuten to the Scuderia family already. Ferrari's clearly building something bigger here, mixing sporting excellence with technological partnership that goes way beyond traditional sponsorship.

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