On 17 September 2026, Rakuten Group, Inc. and Ferrari confirmed a new global commercial alliance that will begin on 1 January 2027. Under the agreement, Rakuten will become a Team Partner of Scuderia Ferrari HP in the distinct categories of Telecommunications and E-Commerce.
The news was communicated through both parties’ primary corporate channels. In Tokyo, Rakuten Group issued an official press release. In parallel, Ferrari N.V., the Dutch holding company listed on the New York Stock Exchange and Euronext Milan under the ticker RACE, disclosed the development through a Form 6-K filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The accompanying statement clarified that the operational agreement was signed by Ferrari S.p.A., the wholly owned Italian subsidiary that runs the racing activities, and Rakuten Group, Inc.
The deal is described by both organizations as multi-year and global. No financial value and no exact contract length have been made public. That discretion is standard practice in Formula 1, where top-tier team partnerships are rarely quantified in public announcements for reasons of commercial confidentiality and competitive positioning.
Two Brands Defined by Longevity and Technology
To understand the weight of this partnership, it helps to place both organizations in context.
Scuderia Ferrari HP is the racing division of Ferrari and the oldest and most decorated team in the history of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship. With continuous participation since the championship’s inaugural season in 1950, the team has accumulated more Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships than any other competitor. The inclusion of HP in the official team name dates from 2024, when HP Inc. joined as title partner in a separate, long-term agreement. That structure remains unchanged; Rakuten joins the commercial portfolio as a Team Partner with category exclusivity in telecommunications and e-commerce.
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Rakuten was founded in 1997 in Tokyo by Hiroshi Mikitani, known as Mickey Mikitani. What began as an online marketplace has grown into one of Japan’s most diversified technology groups. Today the Rakuten ecosystem spans four pillars: commerce, including marketplace, travel, and membership rewards; financial technology, including banking, securities, credit cards, and payments; communications and infrastructure, led by Rakuten Mobile and Rakuten Symphony; and content and entertainment. Rakuten Symphony, in particular, has become central to the group’s international B2B strategy, providing cloud-native, Open RAN-based network solutions to telecom operators and large enterprises worldwide.
The convergence of these two profiles is not incidental. Formula 1 in its current era is as much a technology championship as a sporting one. Teams operate at the edge of data science, simulation, logistics, and secure connectivity, running distributed engineering operations across multiple countries while transmitting terabytes of data per race weekend. For a company that operates both a consumer membership ecosystem of more than 100 million users in Japan and an enterprise telecom platform seeking global adoption, the sport offers a rare combination of mass audience, premium brand environment, and technical credibility.
Structure and Scope of the Agreement
According to the official releases, Rakuten’s designation as Team Partner covers two specific commercial categories: Telecommunications and E-Commerce. In Formula 1 parlance, Team Partner status denotes a significant, integrated commercial relationship with year-round rights, distinct from a single-race supplier or a regional licensee.
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Rakuten itself characterizes this as the first time a Japanese company has partnered with Scuderia Ferrari HP in these two categories. That statement is presented in Rakuten’s own materials as an assessment of the team’s current commercial portfolio, and a review of publicly disclosed Ferrari partner lists does not show a conflicting Japanese partner in the same categories in recent years.
The core rights package includes prominent brand visibility. From the start of the 2027 season, Rakuten branding will appear on the Scuderia Ferrari HP race cars, on driver race suits and team apparel, and within the team environment, including garage and hospitality areas. In practice, this means exposure across the 24-race calendar, pre-season testing, official team content, press conferences, and the team’s global digital platforms. For a global partner, visibility is consistent rather than seasonal, and it travels with the team across five continents.
Beyond the physical branding, the companies outline a broader ambition to connect Rakuten’s ecosystem to Ferrari’s global fanbase and to Formula 1’s technology community. The releases specifically mention exploring opportunities across e-commerce and Rakuten Symphony. The language is intentionally exploratory. Neither release confirms specific product launches, such as selling official Ferrari merchandise exclusively on Rakuten Ichiba or Rakuten Fashion, nor does it announce a confirmed points or cashback program linked to Ferrari. References to unique membership experiences and new business connections appear in executive commentary as directional intent, not as contracted deliverables at this stage. This careful phrasing is important for evaluating what is firm and what is prospective.
Leadership Perspectives
The tone of the announcement was set by statements from the senior leadership of both organizations, emphasizing shared values rather than transactional sponsorship.
Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO of Rakuten Group, said that motorsport at the highest level is defined by an unrelenting pursuit of excellence in technology and by the ability to build deep, enduring relationships with fans. He positioned that ethos as directly aligned with Rakuten’s own philosophy. Mikitani framed Formula 1 as a dynamic global stage on which Rakuten can showcase its technological capabilities, its integrated digital ecosystem, and its vision for membership-driven experiences to millions of Ferrari and Formula 1 enthusiasts.
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On Ferrari’s side, Lorenzo Giorgetti, Chief Racing Revenue Officer, welcomed Rakuten and noted the opportunity to unite two brands with strong global presence and a shared belief in the power of innovation. Giorgetti pointed to Rakuten’s exceptional digital ecosystem and its technological capabilities, suggesting that the partnership could create value beyond the racetrack by opening new avenues in digital engagement and enterprise technology storytelling.
The dual messaging underscores how both parties want this to be perceived: not simply as a logo placement exercise, but as an alignment between a team that markets technological excellence and a group that builds infrastructure for digital commerce and connectivity.
Corporate Mechanics and Why Attribution Matters
One detail that experienced observers of motorsport business will notice is the corporate attribution. Ferrari N.V. is the listed entity that makes regulatory disclosures. Ferrari S.p.A. is the Italian operating company that actually signs and executes racing-related commercial agreements. Rakuten’s announcement names Scuderia Ferrari HP as the sporting partner and Rakuten Group, Inc. as its own signatory, while Ferrari N.V.’s 6-K clarifies that Ferrari S.p.A. is the counterparty. This is standard governance and does not imply any ambiguity about the relationship. It simply reflects that disclosure obligations sit with the parent company while operational execution sits with the subsidiary.
For readers following Ferrari as a public company, this distinction explains why the filing appears under Ferrari N.V. but refers to actions taken by Ferrari S.p.A. There is no indication in any public document that Ferrari N.V. itself is the direct commercial counterparty.
Rakuten’s Sports Portfolio: Evolution, Not Expansion Alone
The Ferrari agreement does not exist in isolation. It is the latest step in a sports marketing strategy that Rakuten has been refining for nearly a decade, with a clear shift over time from pure brand awareness to ecosystem integration.
In June 2026, Rakuten renewed its partnership with the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association. The renewal was notable for what it changed. Rakuten had been the Warriors’ jersey patch partner since the 2017-18 NBA season, one of the first major jersey patch deals in the league. The 2026 renewal continued the relationship but discontinued the jersey patch component. The focus has moved toward fan engagement, community initiatives, collaboration on merchandise and in-arena experiences, and integration with Rakuten’s U.S. rewards platform, including cashback incentives for Rakuten members. Specialist sports business reporting confirmed that evolution, describing it as a transition from top-line visibility to deeper commerce and community activation.
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The most prominent historical reference remains FC Barcelona. Rakuten served as the club’s Main Global Partner and shirt sponsor from the 2017-18 season through 2020-21, with options that extended into the following season. At the time, the deal was reported at approximately 55 million euros per season plus performance-related bonuses, making it one of the largest football shirt agreements in Europe. That partnership ended in the early 2020s and is now accurately described as historical. By 2026, Rakuten no longer held shirt rights at the club, and the company has not presented Barcelona as a current partner in its official materials.
Viewed together, these moves show a pattern. Rakuten’s early global sports investments prioritized large-scale visibility to establish the Rakuten name outside Japan. The more recent approach emphasizes selective, technology-aligned properties where the company can demonstrate both consumer membership value and enterprise capability. Formula 1 fits that second phase more naturally than a football shirt did in the first phase. It offers a premium, innovation-led narrative that aligns with Rakuten Mobile and Rakuten Symphony’s need to be seen as credible infrastructure providers, while also delivering a global fan platform for commerce and loyalty.
Why Telecommunications and E-Commerce Are Strategic Categories in F1
Formula 1’s commercial value to technology companies has increased markedly in the last five years. Three trends explain why telecommunications and e-commerce are now prime categories.
First, audience scale and composition. Formula 1 reports a cumulative annual audience of more than 1.5 billion viewers, with strong growth in the United States, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East. The audience skews younger and more digitally native than many other global sports, with high engagement on social and streaming platforms. For an e-commerce ecosystem, that demographic alignment is valuable.
Second, data and connectivity requirements. A modern Formula 1 team is a distributed data operation. Cars generate hundreds of sensors worth of telemetry, wind tunnel and CFD simulations run continuously, and race strategy depends on low-latency, secure communications between trackside and factories in Maranello, the UK, and elsewhere. Partners that can speak credibly about cloud-native networks, open architectures, and edge computing find a natural storytelling environment.
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Third, premium B2B hospitality. Formula 1’s Paddock Club and team hospitality remain one of the most effective platforms for enterprise relationship building. For Rakuten Symphony, which sells to telecom operators, governments, and large enterprises, the ability to host decision-makers in a technology-driven environment and showcase open network solutions alongside a partner like Ferrari has commercial logic beyond television exposure.
In that context, Rakuten’s decision to secure category exclusivity in telecommunications and e-commerce, rather than a generic technology label, suggests an intent to use the partnership for both sides of its business: the consumer-facing membership and shopping experience, and the enterprise-facing network business.
What Happens Between Announcement and Lights Out in 2027
The agreement takes effect on 1 January 2027. The gap between the September 2026 announcement and the January 2027 start is typical for Formula 1. It allows time for livery integration, apparel production, asset creation, and joint planning for activation in the first season.
From an operational perspective, fans will see the most tangible change at the launch of the 2027 challenger, when the car livery is revealed, and again at pre-season testing and the opening race. Rakuten branding will be integrated into the car, driver suits of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, who are contracted to the team through the 2027 period under previously announced deals, and team kit worn by engineers and mechanics. Digital integration will begin in parallel, with the team and Rakuten likely to coordinate announcements across their respective social and commerce channels as the season approaches.
The second layer of work, the ecosystem exploration, will develop on a separate timeline. Companies typically use the first year of a multi-year partnership to pilot programs, measure fan response, and build the technical integration needed for commerce or membership features. While Rakuten has not committed to specific products, logical areas of exploration based on the stated intent would include limited-edition collaborations, early access or loyalty benefits for Rakuten members around race weekends, content series that explain the technology behind Formula 1 through the lens of Rakuten Symphony, and B2B showcases where Rakuten’s open network solutions are presented in the context of high-performance operations. These remain prospective until formally announced.
Evaluating Claims and Avoiding Speculation
In an era of rapid sports business reporting, it is important to separate confirmed facts from commentary.
Confirmed: The parties, categories, effective date, multi-year global nature, branding locations, and the corporate signing structure. Confirmed also that no financial terms have been disclosed, which is consistent across primary releases and secondary reporting.
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Attributed claim: Rakuten’s statement that it is the first Japanese company to partner with Scuderia Ferrari HP in telecommunications and e-commerce. This is presented as the company’s own assessment and is not contradicted by publicly available partner histories. It should be read as a category-specific claim, not a claim to be the first Japanese partner of Ferrari in any category.
Exploratory intent: Language about expanding Rakuten’s international footprint, fostering new business connections through Formula 1, showcasing technological capabilities, and pursuing cross-industry innovation is framed as intent and opportunity, not as a binding roadmap. Similarly, any mention of membership experiences should be understood as vision rather than confirmed product specification.
Accurate portfolio framing: The Golden State Warriors partnership continues in a modified form without jersey patch rights. The FC Barcelona partnership is historical and concluded after the 2020-21 cycle. Presenting either as a current shirt or jersey partner would be inaccurate in 2026.
This disciplined reading avoids overstatement while preserving the strategic significance of the deal.
The Broader Significance for Both Organizations
For Ferrari, the addition of Rakuten strengthens a commercial portfolio that has been deliberately balanced between luxury, technology, and global consumer reach. The team has maintained long-term relationships with premium brands while adding technology partners that can support the narrative of Formula 1 as a laboratory for innovation. Rakuten brings both an Asian technology identity with global ambitions and a direct link to a large, active consumer membership base, which is increasingly valuable as teams seek to convert television viewership into first-party digital relationships.
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For Rakuten, the partnership represents a return to Formula 1’s top table in a way that aligns with its current corporate identity. Unlike a shirt sponsorship that primarily buys eyeballs, a Team Partner role in telecommunications and e-commerce offers a platform to demonstrate enterprise credibility. Rakuten Symphony’s growth depends on convincing operators to adopt open, cloud-native network architectures. Associating with a team renowned for engineering precision provides a proof-point for that message that goes beyond traditional advertising. At the same time, the consumer ecosystem benefits from association with one of the most emotionally resonant brands in global sport.
The timing also matters. By commencing in 2027, Rakuten enters Formula 1 at the start of a new technical regulation cycle. The 2026 regulations already introduced a greater emphasis on electrical power and sustainable fuels, and 2027 will be the second year of that era, when technology stories are fresh and audiences are attentive to how teams interpret the rules. For a partner whose narrative centers on innovation, entering at the beginning of a regulatory era offers more storytelling opportunities than joining mid-cycle.
Looking Ahead
The success of any multi-year partnership in Formula 1 is ultimately measured in two dimensions: visibility and value creation.
Visibility is the more straightforward metric. From January 2027 onward, Rakuten’s presence on the Ferrari race cars, driver apparel, and team environment will ensure consistent exposure across practice sessions, qualifying, races, and the extensive content output that surrounds each Grand Prix. Given Ferrari’s status as the most supported team on the grid, that exposure carries a multiplier effect in media coverage and social engagement.
Value creation is the more nuanced measure. It will depend on whether the exploratory ambitions outlined in the releases translate into concrete programs that resonate with fans and enterprise customers. Potential indicators to watch for in 2027 and beyond include joint content series focused on technology, integration of Ferrari-related benefits into Rakuten’s membership programs in Japan and internationally, collaborative B2B events hosted around Grands Prix, and any use of Rakuten’s e-commerce infrastructure to enhance the official Ferrari fan experience. None of these have been confirmed, but they represent the logical next steps implied by the language of both companies.
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What is clear is that both parties have chosen to frame the partnership around shared principles: technological excellence, relentless improvement, and the creation of distinctive connections with a global community. Those principles have defined Ferrari for more than seven decades and have driven Rakuten’s transformation from a marketplace to a full technology ecosystem. If the collaboration can translate those principles into tangible experiences for fans and credible demonstrations of network technology for enterprise clients, it will have fulfilled the ambitions set out in the September 2026 announcement.
All operational details regarding activation will emerge through subsequent disclosures from Rakuten Group and Ferrari. Until then, the core facts remain: a multi-year, global Team Partnership in telecommunications and e-commerce, effective from 1 January 2027, uniting one of Japan’s leading technology groups with the most historic team in Formula 1, with branding on cars and apparel and a stated intention to explore broader ecosystem opportunities in the years ahead.
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