Mercedes F1 Commercial Director Richard "Rich" Saunders confirmed that the team is on track to become the first Formula 1 outfit to reach $1 billion in revenue, with licensing income projected to exceed £500 million next year – a figure that even surprised him.
Since joining the Brackley outfit in late 2008, Saunders has overseen a transformation that grew sponsorship and licensing revenue from virtually zero to the half‑billion‑pound range, and expanded the marketing organisation from five staff to roughly 150. He describes Mercedes now as a specialised marketing agency that treats the sport as a content‑generating machine, moving away from the old “stickers on cars” model toward authentic, narrative‑driven partnerships.
The new approach has insulated the team from driver turnover; Hamilton’s departure to Ferrari caused stress but did not dent revenue, which actually rose above budget expectations. While Ferrari saw a modest market‑cap boost, Mercedes stresses long‑term, value‑focused relationships with a core of about 20 partners, acknowledging the challenge of keeping many sponsors happy. Saunders believes that if Kimi Räikkönen wins the championship, his commercial appeal could rival Hamilton’s, highlighting how the content era reshapes F1 economics.
