Beyond the track: How brands took pole position online at 2025 Formula 1 Singapore GP

The Singapore Grand Prix may have crowned George Russell on the Marina Bay Street Circuit, but online, a different race was underway. According to Meltwater, the 2025 weekend generated over 431,000 posts and reposts, reaching more than two billion users globally. Social activity peaked on 5 October with 138,037 posts, dominated by X at an 80.5% penetration rate.

While Russell’s win and Fernando Alonso’s strong performance were widely discussed, it was Lewis Hamilton’s heartfelt tribute to his late dog that captured the most attention, surpassing one million engagement actions. The collision between Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris, meanwhile, drove the highest negative sentiment, highlighting how emotionally charged moments can both captivate and polarise fans.

Moreover, McLaren’s constructors’ championship coverage reached around 13 million, outpacing conversations around Russell’s individual win. This suggests that F1 audiences increasingly respond to narratives that blend performance with personality, rather than focusing solely on race results.

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"This year’s engagement patterns reveal that F1 audiences are increasingly drawn to moments that blend performance with personality. Beyond race results, conversations were fuelled by authentic, emotionally charged stories, some of which weren’t even about the race itself like Lewis Hamilton’s tribute to his dog," said Mimrah Mahmood, vice president, enterprise (APAC) and partner at Meltwater Asia-Pacific.

"This shows that fans are no longer just spectators of speed but participants in an ongoing narrative that values relatability and human connection," he added. 

Sponsor showdown: Who really won online?

Brands that integrated themselves into the race experience saw the biggest returns, DHL was the most mentioned brand with nearly 5,245 posts. This was driven by official announcements of the "Fastest lap" and "fastest pit stop". Owning performance metrics allowed the brand to dominate conversation organically, according to Meltwater. 

Meanwhile, Aramco saw the highest reach of 22 million, fuelled by the "BOSS x Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 team immersive experience" and "Aramco power rankings". By pairing official race content with a high-profile fashion collaboration, Aramco maximised exposure.

Out of all the sponsors, Meltwater found that Salesforce was the most engaged with around 258,000 engagement actions. This is thanks to its interactive "Driver of the day" initiative, proving that participation beats visibility alone in driving fan interaction. 

Locally, Singapore Airlines stood out with the airlines emerging as the second most mentioned sponsor (2,733 posts) and ranked fifth for both reach (~8.7 million) and engagement (~83,500 actions). A boost came from Japanese band BABYMETAL, who mentioned the airline while thanking fans, demonstrating the power of authentic cultural endorsements to break local brands into global conversations.

Then vs now

Compared with 2024, when Pirelli led sponsor visibility with 957,000 engagements and 80 million reach, this year’s digital leaderboard shows a shift from presence to participation. Interactive campaigns and emotionally resonant content proved far more effective than static visibility alone.

"Brands are recognising that visibility alone no longer guarantees impact. What matters more now, is how meaningfully they participate in the fan experience. The most successful sponsors this year weren’t just a placeholder image, but more proactive in creating moments that invited audiences to engage, share, and feel part of the story," explained Mimrah.

"For example: Salesforce’s 'Driver of the day' or Aramco’s tie up with BOSS, turned passive audiences into active advocates. Overall the sponsorship playbook is shifting from presence to participation, to build relationships that translate attention into long-term brand affinity," he added. 

Leading up to the race brands and sponsors had turned malls across the city into pit stops for F1 fans. Watchmaker TAG Heuer for example, celebrated its role as official timekeeper for Formula 1 with the interactive "Tone of victory" pop up that offered fans a deep dive into the brand's racing history. At the pop up, attendees could explore iconic timepieces from the golden era of motorsport and take photos with the Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 Team Show Car.

Meanwhile, Elemis' tie up with Aston Martin Aramco offered fans a one-of-a-kind fusion of luxury skincare and motorsport, turning the excitement of the Grand Prix into a sensory experience. At the pop up, fans could explore four limited-edition Elemis x Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team skincare kits, each designed to deliver visible results fast, combining high-performance formulations with the precision of a Formula 1 team. The activation also featured the Elemis Formula-Powered Car, giving fans a photo opportunity that ties luxury skincare to racing adrenaline.

The 2025 Singapore GP highlighted a clear trend: fans are no longer passive spectators. Brands that participate in the narrative — blending performance, personality, and interactive moments — win both attention and affinity. Emotional storytelling, cultural tie-ins, and gamified fan experiences are now as critical as traditional sponsorship.

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