The countdown to the 2026 Formula One season has begun! To celebrate, we’re introducing you to one of their iconic horological sponsors: Tudor.
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 Tudor, one of the watch industry’s newest connections to the motorsport.
Tudor’s History With Formula One
Tudor as a brand hadn’t been closely associated with Formula One until recently. However, their move into the pinnacle of motorsport isn’t entirely out of the blue, as the brand actually holds a surprisingly deep connection with the racing world. Long before the modern Formula One partnership, the brand had already been experimenting with motorsport sponsorships and racing culture, building a quiet but notable legacy in competitive racing environments.
Tomohiko Tsutsumi (堤知彦), 1969
Competing in a Porsche 906, Tsutsumi and Jiro Yoneyama were the stars of Tudor’s first racing-related milestone, winning the 1969 Suzuka 1000km Summer Endurance Championship.
Tudor’s journey into four-wheeled motorsport began not in Europe or North America, but in Asia during the late 1960s. At the time, the brand supported Japanese driver Tomohiko Tsutsumi, an endurance racer who competed in the prestigious Suzuka 1000km Summer Endurance Race. Tsutsumi had previously won the race in 1966 with Team Toyota, and in 1969 he returned to the top step of the podium alongside teammate Jiro Yoneyama.
The pair secured victory driving a Porsche 906 finished in Tudor Watch Racing Team livery. The distinctive Tudor branding across the car signalled the brand’s willingness to experiment with motorsport partnerships, even at a time when luxury watch companies were far less involved in the sport than they are today. For Tudor, this early involvement laid the foundations for what would eventually become a broader motorsport presence.
During this same era, Tudor’s influence within motorsport was slowly working its way westward. A number of advertisements from the 1970s highlight the brand’s connection to racing culture, including one showing rally driver Tim Wheatley wearing the Tudor Chronograph Oysterdate “Home Plate”, Ref. 7032. While detailed records of Wheatley’s rally career are somewhat limited, archival material suggests he remained involved in competitive rallying for decades.
In fact, Wheatley was reportedly still competing as recently as 2019, this time alongside his son Matthew in the ERA Adriatic Adventure rally. These connections highlight how Tudor’s relationship with motorsport was never simply about branding, but rather about aligning the watches with individuals pushing machines to their limits.
Fast forward to the 21st century, and Tudor’s motorsport presence had begun to establish itself more firmly in the Western world. Between 2015 and 2018, Tudor became the title sponsor of the Historic Grand Prix at Zandvoort in the Netherlands. The event celebrates classic Formula One machinery and historic racing culture, making it a natural environment for a heritage-focused brand like Tudor.
During roughly the same period, Tudor also lent its name to the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, further strengthening its presence within endurance racing. These partnerships reflected Tudor’s broader brand philosophy, which centres around durability, reliability, and watches built to perform under demanding conditions.
The brand’s modern identity, often captured through the “Born To Dare” philosophy, further reinforces this connection between adventure and performance. As Tudor explains, the campaign represents both the brand’s heritage and its vision for the future, celebrating individuals who push boundaries whether on land, in the air, underwater or on the racetrack.
“Tudor has always been fueled by a daring spirit, a consistent will to do things differently. And this spirit—we call it Born To Dare—is exactly what Visa Cash App RB is demonstrating heading into the 2024 F1 season. We’re beyond thrilled to return to motorsport with a partner that’s ready to take on the challenge.”
TUDOR CEO – Eric Pirson.
In 2024, however, Tudor made its most ambitious motorsport move yet by stepping into Formula One. The brand partnered with the newly named Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team, formerly known as Scuderia AlphaTauri, marking Tudor’s official entry into the pinnacle of motorsport. The partnership saw Tudor branding integrated into the team’s livery and driver race suits, signalling the start of a new era for both the watchmaker and the team.
At the time of the announcement, the team’s driver lineup featured proven race winner Daniel Ricciardo alongside Japanese star Yuki Tsunoda. There is an interesting symmetry in that moment, as Tudor’s earliest connection to motorsport also began with a talented Japanese driver decades earlier. From endurance racing at Suzuka in the 1960s to the Formula One grid in the modern era, Tudor’s motorsport journey has come full circle.
The Drivers & Their Watches
Driver Profile – Liam Lawson
Though much can be gleaned from Tudor’s long-standing involvement in motorsport, they are still relatively green in the fast-paced world of Formula One. In that environment, the Racing Bulls drivers are not seasoned veterans or legends of the sport, but they show genuine daring, as their timepieces do.
This is especially true of Liam Lawson’s Formula One journey. The Kiwi driver has had more than his fair share of upheaval, stepping in for Daniel Ricciardo at short notice in 2023. Even so, he has demonstrated that he’s more than up to the task, using a versatile yet aggressive driving style.
That approach brought him considerable success in his junior career, particularly when he became the first driver to win on debut in Japan’s Super Formula Championship. Only time will tell whether he can master the new machinery put before him by the Racing Bulls team, or perhaps more accurately, whether it can handle him.
Tudor Black Bay Chrono Pink
As the team’s lead driver, it makes sense that Liam Lawson is seen wearing some of Tudor’s rarer timepieces. One that has caught plenty of attention is the Black Bay Chrono with its vibrant pink dial. It’s a watch that immediately stands out, not just because of the colour, but because of how difficult it has become to actually get your hands on one.
The watch quickly became one of Tudor’s most talked about releases, drawing obvious comparisons to the candy pink Rolex Oyster Perpetual that sent collectors into a frenzy a few years earlier. Unsurprisingly, the Tudor version sparked a similar reaction, with watch enthusiasts practically climbing over one another to secure one when it first launched. Personally, I have yet to see one in person myself. How likely is it that Liam would let me try his on if I asked?
Australian Retail Price: AU$9,850
Availability: By inquiry only at Tudor boutiques, authorised dealers, or online at TudorWatch.com
Tudor Black Bay Ceramic Visa CashApp Racing Bulls Formula One Team Blue
When Liam Lawson officially stepped in for Daniel Ricciardo midway through the 2024 season, he was also spotted wearing the Tudor Black Bay Ceramic. But this wasn’t just the standard version of the watch. This particular piece featured the colours of the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Formula One Team integrated into the dial, tying the watch directly to the team’s identity on the grid.
The Black Bay Ceramic already stands out within Tudor’s collection thanks to its stealthy matte black ceramic case and modern design. Pair that with Tudor’s in-house manufacture movement and the Racing Bulls-inspired dial accents, and the watch becomes a fitting companion for a Formula One driver. Since joining the team, the piece has quickly become one of Lawson’s more recognisable wrist choices, quietly reinforcing the partnership between Tudor and Racing Bulls every time he steps into the paddock!
Australian Retail Price: AU$8,640
Availability: By inquiry only at Tudor boutiques, authorised dealers, or online at TudorWatch.com
Driver Profile – Arvid Lindblad
Speaking of green, the Racing Bulls team also has the distinction of debuting the only new driver of the 2026 season. There has been significant buzz around Arvid Lindblad’s junior career, with many pundits positioning him as a clear and present threat to the other Formula One teams.
After becoming the youngest Formula 2 race winner in history, the British-born, Swedish-Indian driver was granted a Super Licence dispensation by the FIA. This allowed him to join the ranks of Formula One prior to turning 18, an honour used sparingly but one that includes the likes of Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen.
Lindblad’s rapid rise through the junior ranks has been nothing short of impressive. Having already proven his speed and racecraft in both Formula 3 and Formula 2, many within the paddock see him as one of the most exciting young prospects to enter Formula One in recent years. For Racing Bulls, bringing Lindblad into the team represents a continuation of their long-standing philosophy of nurturing young talent, allowing promising drivers to prove themselves on the biggest stage in motorsport.
Tudor Black Bay Chrono Panda
As the newest kid on the block, Arvid’s weapon of choice is a classic: the Tudor Black Bay Chrono. In the ‘Panda’ configuration, with its white dial and black registers, the Black Bay Chrono is sporty, versatile, and elegant, well-suited to Lindblad. Now fitted with a five-link bracelet for added comfort, you would be hard-pressed to spot the young hopeful in the paddock without it. The only time it is likely to be missing, of course, is when he is on track.
For a driver stepping into Formula One for the very first time, the Black Bay Chrono feels like an appropriate choice. It’s a watch that balances heritage and modern performance, much like Lindblad himself as he transitions from the junior formulas to the pinnacle of motorsport. While the pressure of a rookie season can be immense, the young driver appears to be taking it all in stride, and if his junior career is anything to go by, the paddock may be seeing a lot more of both Lindblad and that Panda dial in the seasons to come.