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Style Edit: Rolex is Global Partner and Official Timepiece of Formula One – and a direct sponsor of the Australian and Belgian grand prix in 2024, with several ex-drivers as Rolex Testimonees

STORYSCMP Style Reporter
Rolex is Global Partner and Official Timepiece to the FIA Formula One World Championship, whose last race saw Lando Norris in his McLaren claim his first race win, at the 2024 Miami Grand Prix on May 5. Photos: Handout

The pinnacle of speed and precision, Formula One has long been touted as one of the most exciting and important forms of motor racing. Over the past century, top carmakers have vied to produce machines that can outrace their competitors on the track. This led to the European Drivers’ Championship in the 1920s that ultimately became Formula One some three decades later.

Oscar Piastri’s McLaren leaves the pits in the first practice session at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix
Clearly such a sport has a need for exacting levels of accuracy with every fraction of a second counting, and that is something it has in common with watchmaker Rolex. Partner to many of the world’s most prestigious sporting events, Rolex’s connection to car racing even precedes its affiliation with Formula One. The Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 24 Hours of Le Mans are among the racing events that the watchmaker has taken part in, as well as supporting automotive showcase events like the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Racing legend Sir Malcolm Campbell’s 1930 World Land Speed Record was even made with a Rolex on his wrist.
Circuit atmosphere: the Rolex clock in the paddock at the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix

The watchmaker supported Sir Jackie Stewart, a three-time FIA Formula One World Drivers’ Champion, starting in 1968, so it’s only natural that in 2013, Rolex became the official partner of the world championship itself.

In the 2024 season, 10 teams are vying for the title, competing in 24 races across five continents. Tapping into innovative technology to shave their track times and ensure the utmost precision, the well-funded teams represent excellence in the realm of automotive engineering and racing. As Global Partner and Official Timepiece of Formula One, Rolex is very much a key player supporting the circuit’s success.

Daniel Ricciardo in action in his Red Bull at the 2024 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix

The year’s FIA Formula One World Championships – its 75th no less – kicked off in Bahrain in March, with the last race to take place in Abu Dhabi on December 8. Of its 24 stops, two are sponsored directly by the watchmaker: the Rolex Australian Grand Prix, held back in March, and the Rolex Belgian Grand Prix, coming up in July.

Sergio Perez of Red Bull leaves the pits during the second practice session for the 2024 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix
As the season heats up, the teams, each running two cars, compete for points that are awarded according to their finishing positions in races. The drivers – many of them fantastically wealthy – are battling to be World Drivers’ Champion while teams aim to become World Constructors’ Champion.

Helping to adjudicate all this and an ever-present at Grand Prix races is the Rolex Pit Lane Clock that has become a symbol of precision and speed in the world of motorsports.

Yuki Tsunoda in the Red Bull and Lance Stroll in the Aston Martin at the start of the 2024 Rolex Australian Grand Prix

A number of Rolex Testimonees also feature heavily at Formula One events, including former drivers nine-time Grand Prix winner Mark Webber and Stewart, who is set to celebrate the 55th anniversary of his first Formula One win this year.

Max Verstappen leads in the Red Bull Racing at the start of the 2024 Rolex Australian Grand Prix

Stewart, a long-time Rolex Testimonee, shares that the watchmaker has certainly raised the standards of the sport. “Rolex and Formula One have rewritten engineering excellence and the level of teamwork required to succeed,” he says.

Max Verstappen in the Red Bull leads at the start of the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix

Also celebrating a milestone in 2024 is Rolex Testimonee Jenson Button, who, with his Brawn GP team, won the FIA Formula One Drivers’ World Championship in Interlagos, Brazil, 15 years ago. The veteran says as the sport evolves, the excitement never stops. “It’s great to see how the sport has evolved since I competed. I’m expecting to see spectacular racing throughout the field again this year,” Button shares.

Style Edit
  • Rolex’s involvement in racing began with the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with the brand also supporting automotive showcase events like the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
  • The watchmaker supported Sir Jackie Stewart, 3-time Formula One World Drivers’ Champion, starting in 1968, and other Testimonees include Mark Webber and Jenson Button, champion in 2009