$860 Million Crypto Partner Parts Ways With McLaren as 60 Year Old Legacy Brand Tipped to Join Before New Season

Crypto Companies and F1 teams have been associated as partners for a while now. Tezos, the $860 million worth of open-source blockchain, has been a dominant sponsor in the sport. Previously partnering with Red Bull, they have also been sponsors for McLaren since 2021. However, it has been reported that they are pulling out of the sport, with Alpinestars being rumored to be McLaren’s choice of replacement.

Keen-eyed fans of the sport spotted an anomaly on McLaren’s official website and triggered speculations. Decalspotters, on X, reported, “Tezos and Sparco have been removed from the @McLarenF1 website heading into 2024.”

Tezos and Sparco have been removed from the @McLarenF1 website heading into 2024.

In 2021, @tezos signed a multi-year partnership with the team, and have also previously been partnered with @redbullracing.

Sparco is expected to be replaced by @alpinestars.#F1 pic.twitter.com/wfFZFBTThb

— Decalspotters (@decalspotters) January 2, 2024

The unregulated Crypto regime has seen a lot of criticism thrown in the companies’ way. What’s more, the volatility of the market itself has meant that many such firms have pulled out from sponsoring in F1 in the last 12 months.

After spotting Oscar Piastri donning Alpinestar’s racewear, rumors started flying high that the iconic motorsport apparel giants were on course to be announced as Tezos’ replacement at McLaren. That being said, the news of Alpinestars joining the elite list of McLaren’s sponsors is only speculation, as nothing has been confirmed yet by either party.

How Alpinestars found its way into motorsport

The iconic brand was founded by Sante Mazzarolo in 1963. In a varied catalog of high-performance athletes, they have sponsored the likes of Marc Marquez and Casey Stoner.

Their humble beginnings started when their founder used motocross to execute his vision. With motocross finding popularity across Europe, Mazzarolo saw an opportunity to apply his talents to design gear that would meet the protective needs of the sport.

Since then, the Italian company has become a stalwart in the motoring world. Many top champions and championships often choose Alpinestars to become either a sponsor or a gear/clothing provider.

Slowly and steadily, after its incorporation 60 years ago, the company has gone from strength to strength, as they have established itself as the go-to race-wear and gear supplier in Formula 1, MotoGP, and NASCAR.