FabianSince July 2024, Signify, the manufacturer of Philips Hue, has been sponsoring the Mercedes team in Formula 1. This isn’t its only involvement in the premier class, as Signify lighting is even used during the night races on the street circuits in Las Vegas and Singapore—though without smart Hue features.
Until now, only the Signify logo was visible on the Mercedes race cars. “We also want to strengthen Signify as a brand name,” said then-Signify CEO Eric Rondolat in the summer of 2024. “Some of our activities are already running under the Signify brand, and we think it’s very important for a company like ours to own our brand as well.”
Last weekend, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli’s cars were adorned with Hue stickers for the first time. The weekend in Japan was just as successful as the previous two races, with the Mercedes team once again coming out on top. So the Hue stickers certainly didn’t slow the car down.
Over the course of the season, which doesn’t wrap up until early December in Abu Dhabi, there will be Hue sponsorship on the Mercedes Formula 1 cars for six more race weekends. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you exactly which races that will be.
What I can tell you, however: The two Hue stickers are attached to the side of the cockpit surround. At first glance, this looks “backwards,” at least when viewing the car from the front. However, when filmed from the prominent onboard camera, the Hue logo is clearly visible.
You can see this, for example, during Kimi Antonelli’s qualifying lap at the Suzuka circuit on YouTube.
Signify’s revenue is declining and jobs are being cut
While things are going splendidly for Signify, Hue, and Mercedes in Formula 1, Signify’s current financial figures don’t paint a particularly rosy picture. Last year, revenue fell by 3.4 percent, and in the final quarter of the year, it dropped by as much as 5.2 percent.
This is also having an impact on staffing. The number of full-time positions has already been reduced from 29,500 to around 26,600. In addition, there are plans for a further cost-cutting program worth 180 million euros, which calls for the elimination of another 900 jobs. However, this does not yet seem to be affecting the company’s Formula 1 sponsorship.
