The Aston Martin Formula 1 (AMF1) motor racing team has further bolstered its commercial portfolio ahead of the 2025 season with the addition of US-based cryptocurrency exchange platform Coinbase as a new partner, while Saudi Arabian mining and metals firm Ma'aden has been upgraded to principal partner.
Ma'aden becomes the first brand to be designated as a second-tier principal partner of the team, building on the original tie-up between the two parties last year.
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Through the expanded deal, the Saudi company's logo will feature on the AMR25 car, while the pair will collaborate on social and digital campaigns as well as trackside content.
AMF1's two biggest sponsors are now Saudi firms, with the country's oil giant Aramco serving as the team's title partner.
The Coinbase agreement, meanwhile, sees the company become the F1 outfit's official crypto partner under a multi-year contract.
In a first for F1, the sponsorship fee will be paid entirely in cryptocurrency using USDC, a digital currency designed to be pegged 1:1 to the U.S. dollar.
As part of the deal, Coinbase branding will debut on the halo and rear-wing end plate of the AMR25 throughout the season, as well as on drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll's racing suits.
AMF1 and Coinbase will also collaborate on fan engagement opportunities.
The tie-up represents the crypto firm’s first foray into F1.
Gary Sun, vice president of marketing at Coinbase, added: “This is a huge milestone for Coinbase, marking the first time we've invested in a sports partnership entirely in cryptocurrency.
“It is also our debut in Formula One, and we are excited to embrace an industry that equally values pushing the boundaries with transformative ideas and technology.”
AMF1 has now announced four sponsorships this month after partnering with Atlas Air and Elemis.
Other new sponsors on board with the UK-based team for the 2025 season include Arm, Pepperstone, Glenfiddich, Puma, and Xerox.
Meanwhile, F1 is set to have a new broadcast partner in the US after the 2025 campaign with incumbent ESPN unlikely to renew its deal, it has been reported.
The major sports network’s exclusive negotiating window with F1 expired without a deal and is not expected to pursue an extension, according to Puck News.
ESPN has aired F1 races since 2018 and is entering the final year of a three-year extension which GlobalData Sport values at $85 million annually.
With the growth of F1 in the US, the series is seeking a significant uplift in its broadcast rights revenue in a key market.
ESPN averaged a record 1.21 million viewers per race in 2022, but that number dipped to 1.1 million in 2023 and remained flat in 2024.
The popularity of the iconic motor racing series in the US has largely been helped by Netflix’s Drive to Survive docuseries, which is set to release its seventh season next month.
Drive to Survive is claimed to have a total cumulative audience of over 800 million from its six seasons to date, with one-third of that figure said to come from the US.
Notably, Netflix is understood to be among the interested parties in acquiring F1 rights after its recent entry into the live sports space.
National network NBC held domestic F1 rights from 2012 to 2017 and is also in the mix to land the rights. Both Netflix and NBC have reportedly held talks with F1 recently.
The 2025 F1 season begins in Melbourne on March 16 and includes three races in the US – Miami (May 4), Austin, Texas (October 19) and Las Vegas (November 22).
Read: Commercial success the springboard for Aston Martin's championship journey
