ooooIYKYK, ISSUE #oo33
We’re now less than a week out from the Audi Revolut F1 Team’s big reveal in Berlin on January 20, which makes this a timely moment to think about motorsport itself. It isn’t for everyone—even Formula 1, with all its vaunted reach. As a result, motorsport isn’t always an obvious priority for marketing executives or even boards of directors.
I’m one of those people who’s a fan—someone who tells himself, “I get motorsport.”
I like cars. I see them as a form of indulgence and self-expression. I like performance. The experience—motorsport included—excites me and allows me to connect with a brand in ways I don’t connect with others in my life. So does that make me biased? Do I overvalue motorsport as a component of brand activity simply because I’m an admitted fan?
I imagine that’s what the marketing teams lobbying for soccer placements or house cars at exotic influencer hotels might say. Then again… might they be biased as well? Biased by their own affection for influencer hotels, soccer, or easy-button metrics like impressions and attendance figures that “prove” the juice is worth the squeeze—even if many of those counted could care less about the brand itself?
Maybe.
Here’s the thing about motorsport—and enthusiast activities more broadly. Unlike a stadium placement, a hotel arrival, or on-screen product placement, the car isn’t a prop. In motorsport, the car is the critical component. The driver? Sure—equally important. But together, they are the brand. Not something merely sponsored by it, with a token logo slapped on a jersey. Wins and feats become accomplishments for the marque itself, achieved by heroes within the brand family and layered directly into its legends and lore.
Enthusiast events like motorsport are exactly that—for enthusiasts. And I’d wager that a single true enthusiast—someone who lives and breathes the brand, buys multiple cars, and directly influences friends and family through genuine passion—is far more powerful than a random influencer who stops you for a few seconds in the middle of a doom scroll.
There’s a natural progression of ownership: consumer, shopper, buyer, owner. If a brand is firing on all cylinders, there are a couple more steps beyond that—repeat buyer and, ultimately, brand enthusiast. Those final steps are earned either through consistently satisfying experiences or by inspiring real passion.
Sure, a placement at a fashion hotel, a soccer match or in a movie might help someone along that journey. But on their own, they’re unlikely to elevate an individual into a lasting brand enthusiast. For that, the lifestyle has to revolve around the car. And the two most effective ways to do that are shared experiences centered on the brand—like motorsport—or meaningful integration into an owner’s life through clubs and communities.
A surprising number of executives don’t always grasp this. When success is measured primarily in clicks and views, motorsport’s value isn’t immediately obvious.
Before we get to the F1 team’s January 20 reveal, other motorsport seasons are already coming online. Audi Sport customer racing continues with its previously homologated cars, and this week the site has covered team confirmations in North America, with more planned for Europe.
It’s easy to forget these campaigns are happening—but celebrating them remains one of the most authentic ways to focus on the brand. For proof, look no further than Audi Dubai.
This weekend marks the 24 Hours of Dubai. It may not carry the mythology of Le Mans, Spa, or the Nürburgring, but it’s a serious endurance race—and one that Audi Dubai clearly understands as vital to its local brand experience. Beyond sponsorship and team support, Audi Dubai has created a dedicated brand presence near the Dubai Autodrome. There, it celebrates the Audi family in a layered, thoughtful way: displays of past and present Audi products, uniquely local touches like the Audi Oryx Desert King (an off-road 90 quattro), a Sport quattro S1 E2 replica and a lounge filled with strong branding and Audi collection merchandise.
And here’s the key point. Audi Sport customer racing is nearing its end. Based on how little attention it receives in some markets, you might wonder whether certain regions have forgotten it exists at all.
But not Audi Dubai. Not Audi Middle East.
They get it. They see the value. And because they see it, their customers do too. They share the passion.
NEXT UP THIS WEEK’S NEWS & FEATURES
CURATED PODCASTS & VIDEO CONTENT
Audi’s Last Le Mans Car? The 2016 Audi R18 RP6 | Sam’s The Pits
The ooooIYKYK Podcast about Audi: Ep. 10, Auditography Returns
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