The countdown to the 2026 Formula One season has begun! To celebrate, we’re introducing you to one of their iconic horological sponsors: TAG Heuer.
The 8th of March marks the start of the new Formula One season, and it is shaping up to be a thrilling one! New machinery, new teams and new circuits have all been added to the world’s most popular motorsport, and all eyes are on the 22 drivers competing for this year’s World Drivers’ Championship.
Where our gaze drifts, however, is to their wrists! Formula One races are marquee events on everyone’s calendar, but they are also grand showcases for the watch industry. Formula One and watchmaking have long been intertwined, a cocktail of heritage, innovation and luxury branding.
As the grid lines up, we at Watch Advice are celebrating with The Formula 1® Watch Week. Part history lesson, part watch-spotting, we are introducing the iconic brands that sponsor this remarkable sport. Today, we are shining a light on TAG Heuer, one of Formula One’s most enduring companions.
TAG Heuer’s History With Formula One
Out of all the companies that sponsor Formula One, very few can equal the legacy that TAG Heuer shares with the fabled motorsport. Today, watch brands are present across much of the grid, but it was the brand formerly known as Heuer that began it all.
Jo Siffert (1936-1971)
As brand ambassador, Jo Siffert became one of the first faces to immediately be associated with Heuer timepieces. Inadvertently, his look would inspire one Steve McQueen as he was costumed for his 1971 movie ‘Le Mans.‘
In 1971, a then 39-year-old Jack Heuer approached legendary Formula One driver Jo Siffert to become the brand’s first ambassador. Siffert agreed, with Jack later saying it was “one of the best marketing moves I ever made, since it opened the door to the closed-off world of F1.” Siffert took naturally to the role and was even rumoured to pitch Heuer watches to his rivals while on the grid. His influence eventually extended to his team, Ferrari, and Heuer became the first non-automotive brand to sponsor a Formula One team.
Throughout this golden age, Heuer wristwatches were seen on a who’s who of iconic racers, including Niki Lauda, Gilles Villeneuve and Ronnie Peterson. As Heuer evolved into TAG Heuer, the brand unveiled the Formula One collection, conceived as a youthful, colourful celebration of its partnership with the sport amid the ongoing quartz crisis. During this period, it also served for more than a decade as the official timekeeper of Formula One, from 1992 to 2003.
After parting ways with Ferrari, TAG Heuer established a three-decade relationship with McLaren from 1986 to 2015, bringing its watches to a new generation of Formula One drivers, chief among them Ayrton Senna and Sir Lewis Hamilton. In 2016, the brand shifted again, joining the rising Red Bull Racing Formula One team.
Once more, its watches were at the forefront of the sport, but the brand didn’t just want to stop there. Just last year, TAG Heuer announced that it would again serve as the official timekeeper of Formula One, becoming the first brand to hold the role across two separate terms.
The Drivers & Their Watches
Max Verstappen
Even if you’re not a watch aficionado, you’ve likely heard of Max Verstappen. The dreamcrusher of an eighth Lewis Hamilton championship, ‘Mad Max’ has established himself as one of the finest and most consistent drivers in recent F1 history.
Although he is no longer the reigning world champion, Verstappen delivered a remarkable comeback in 2025. From a seemingly career-ruining 104-point deficit to finishing just two points shy of the title, you can never count the Flying Dutchman out.
So who better to put TAG Heuer in pole position than the man who put himself there eight times last season? As the lead driver for Oracle Red Bull Racing, the brand has naturally pulled out all the stops for him. In photoshoots by TAG Heuer and on Max’s own Instagram, he can be seen wearing two equally iconic timepieces from the brand’s repertoire.
TAG Heuer Monaco ‘Steve McQueen’
In the first image, Max is wearing the ever-iconic TAG Heuer Monaco. This particular version is the ‘Steve McQueen’ configuration, designed to mirror the watch the actor wore in 1971’s Le Mans. The destro, or left-sided, crown not only accommodated the left-handed McQueen but also served as a marketing statement. It underscored the Monaco’s status as the first production automatic chronograph, meaning the crown no longer needed to be wound as frequently.
Australian Retail Price: AU$12,800
Availability: Available now, at TAG Heuer boutiques, authorised dealers, or online at TAGHeuer.com
TAG Heuer Carrera Glassbox ‘Success’
The second image shows the Dutch driver wearing another remastered blast from the past: the TAG Heuer Carrera Glassbox ‘Success’. What makes this watch so legendary is that it’s nicknamed after the engraved Ref. 1158CHN worn by Ronnie Peterson, gifted to him by Jack Heuer himself. Now refreshed within the modern Carrera Glassbox Chronograph line, it evokes the brand’s enduring ethos of triumph under pressure, as well as Max’s own winning ways.
Australian Retail Price: AU$36,450
Availability: Available now, at TAG Heuer boutiques, authorised dealers, or online at TAGHeuer.com
Isack Hadjar
In keeping with TAG Heuer’s pursuit of innovation, and Red Bull Racing’s pursuit of greatness, the Formula One team has introduced fresh blood into the mix this year. Having previously cut his teeth at Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, Isack Hadjar steps in as the new number two driver alongside Max Verstappen.
The decision has been met with some apprehension within the Formula One community, particularly as it came at the expense of popular Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda. However, the Frenchman has already shown considerable promise, securing a podium finish in his debut season in the sport. He is clearly intent on making his mark as more than simply Max’s right-hand man.
TAG Heuer Formula One Chronograph X Red Bull Racing
In his first photoshoot in the new team colours, Isack Hadjar is seen wearing a piece from the TAG Heuer Formula One collection. The choice is apt, as it’s the new rendition of the chronograph in the Red Bull Racing colours. Beyond the name alone, it neatly reflects his position within the team. The TAG Heuer Formula One X Red Bull Racing is dynamic and youthful, often serving as the gateway to the rest of the brand’s expansive catalogue. It’s fitting for a young driver with something to prove, don’t you think?