Barclays has announced a multi-year sponsorship agreement with the Atlassian Williams Formula 1 Team, marking a significant new partnership between one of global finance’s most recognisable brands and one of Formula 1’s most historic teams.
Williams stands among the sport’s elite, ranking as one of the three most successful Formula 1 teams of all time, with 114 Grand Prix victories, nine Constructors’ World Championships and seven Drivers’ World Championships across a 48-year racing legacy.
Under the agreement, Barclays branding will feature prominently on the team’s 2026 FW48 car, including the rear wing, sidepods, chassis top, cockpit surround and front mirrors. The Barclays logo will also appear on the race overalls, helmets, gloves and cooling vests of drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon, as well as on mechanics’ overalls and official team apparel.
As part of the multi-year sponsorship, Barclays becomes the Official Banking Partner of the Atlassian Williams F1 Team and will serve as the team’s primary corporate bank.
The partnership will be activated through tailored client engagement programmes for Barclays’ corporate and institutional clients, private banking clients and corporate card partners through 2026. Activation will focus on Grands Prix in key growth markets across Asia and the Middle East, alongside established races in the US, UK and Europe.
The alliance also strengthens Barclays’ global brand presence within Formula 1, a sport that reached a worldwide audience of 827 million people in 2024, with 6.7 million fans attending races during the 2025 season. Formula 1 continues to attract a younger and more diverse fan base, with 43% of fans under 35 and 42% female. Recent fan research shows that 39% of Gen Z fans and 41% of women are more likely to purchase products from Formula 1 sponsors — reinforcing the championship’s growing commercial appeal. Formula 1’s increasing popularity among women also aligns with Barclays’ long-term commitment to supporting women’s sport.
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The deal represents a renewed relationship between Barclays and Williams. The team’s legendary founder, Sir Frank Williams, was a long-standing Barclays customer, and the bank previously provided banking services to the team.
Stephen Dainton, President of BBPLC and Head of Investment Bank Management, said:
“Our partnership with Atlassian Williams F1 Team will deepen our client engagement and elevate our brand across our key markets as we grow our investment banking and private banking and wealth management relationships. Working with one of the most storied teams in Formula 1 brings unparalleled global visibility.
“Barclays has long been one of sport’s most committed corporate partners — from the Premier League and the Women’s Super League to Lord’s, Wimbledon and the Barclays Center, home of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets and the WNBA’s New York Liberty. We pair world-stage platforms with major investment in community and grassroots sport. It’s this combination of elite performance and local impact that defines our approach.”
James Vowles, Team Principal of Atlassian Williams F1 Team, added:
“We are delighted to welcome Barclays into the sport as the Official Banking Partner to the Atlassian Williams F1 Team. As we prepare for one of the most significant regulatory changes in Formula 1 history, we are positioning ourselves to seize the opportunities of the new era together with Barclays as we continue investing for long-term success.”
Barclays is among the world’s largest corporate backers of global sport, with long-standing partnerships across football, tennis, cricket and basketball — and now Formula 1 — reinforcing its commitment to elite performance, innovation and global engagement.