Carlyle to partner with Red Bull F1 team as private markets look to build brand awareness

Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing competes during the British Grand Prix, the 12th round of the Formula 1 World Championship, at Silverstone Circuit in Northampton, United Kingdom, on July 06, 2025.Rasid Necati Aslim | Anadolu | Getty ImagesCarlyle is set to announce a new partnership with Formula 1 team Oracle Red Bull Racing as private markets firms aim to ramp up their exposure to the high-net worth and retail investor cohorts, CNBC has learned.The agreement will plaster Carlyle's branding on Red Bull's RB21 challenger, drivers' team kits, the pit wall and the garage, the two companies said Tuesday. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed."Our industry is undergoing an extraordinary transformation, fueled by greater access to private markets and growing interest from a new generation of investors," Carlyle CEO Harvey Schwartz said in a statement. "We're excited to partner with one of the most illustrious brands in global sport to engage new audiences and create long-term value together."F1 teams have been raking in sponsorship dollars as the league soars in popularity. Last year, the teams generated a combined $2 billion in sponsorship revenue, according to a recent report by SponsorUnited. That surpassed every league except for the NFL, according to the report. And F1 generated the highest average sponsorship deal size at $6 million last year, which was about eight times the average for the NFL.The private markets industry has been inking partnerships — particularly with certain sport franchises — in order to bring more brand awareness to firms as the industry evolves toward funding from individual retail investors. Other firms, such as Apollo and Blue Owl, have pursued sponsorship deals within professional golf and tennis.Wealth has been one of the fastest-growing areas within Carlyle, raising more than $60 billion since inception and nearly doubling the segment assets under management in two years. In the release, Carlyle said it's Red Bull's exclusive partner in the investment management industry and that their alliance is the first between an F1 team and a "major global private markets firm.""As an iconic firm in global finance, Carlyle brings a long-term perspective with an expansive network, and we look forward to building a powerful partnership on and off the track," Laurent Mekies, Oracle Red Bull racing CEO and team principal, said in the releaseThe SponsorUnited report said the technology sector drove the most F1 team sponsorship revenue, contributing $543 million. Financial services came in second, with $379 million, the report showed. AIX Investment Group recently sponsored driver Pierre Gasly for the 2025 season, featuring its logo on the side panel of his helmet.