Rakuten last dominated a top-tier sports jersey during Lionel Messi’s final seasons at FC Barcelona. From now on the Japanese group’s next big stage will be the Formula 1 grid, alongside a red car in Maranello.
Ferrari and Rakuten announced their multi-year global partnership on Thursday, 17 September 2026. Rakuten becomes a Team Partner of Scuderia Ferrari HP from 1 January 2027, in the telecommunications and e-commerce categories. It is the first Japanese company to join Ferrari as a Team Partner in those two categories.
The deal will put Rakuten branding on the race cars, on the drivers’ apparel and in the team environment, according to the official announcement. Beyond the trackside signage, the two companies say they will develop joint work through Rakuten’s own ecosystem and through Rakuten Symphony, the group’s open-network telecoms arm.
Two chief executives, one pitch on innovation
Lorenzo Giorgetti, Ferrari’s Chief Racing Revenue Officer, framed the tie-up as a match of scale and ambition.
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“Welcoming Rakuten to Scuderia Ferrari HP is an opportunity to bring together two brands with a strong global presence and a shared belief in the power of innovation,” Giorgetti said in the announcement.
Rakuten Chairman and CEO Mickey Mikitani leaned on the same theme when presenting the deal from Tokyo.
“Motorsport at the highest level is defined by a relentless pursuit of excellence, in technological innovation and creating unique connections with fans, a commitment we share with Scuderia Ferrari HP,” Mikitani said.
He described the partnership as a stage to bring Rakuten’s technology, digital ecosystem and membership programs to Formula 1 fans worldwide.
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A well-worn sports playbook
Football fans will recognize the logo. Rakuten was Barcelona’s main shirt sponsor from the 2017-18 season after signing a four-year deal originally worth around €55m per season. The company later exercised a one-year extension, on reduced terms of about €30m a year, and stepped away in the summer of 2022, when Spotify took over as the club’s shirt partner.
Rakuten has also spent years on the front of the Golden State Warriors’ jerseys in the NBA, though the jersey-patch element of that deal has since been discontinued while the wider partnership continues.
Another name for a crowded Ferrari roster
The Rakuten agreement lands in an already dense commercial portfolio. Scuderia Ferrari HP takes its team name from title partner HP, and its current sponsor board also features Puma, Shell, UniCredit and IBM. In recent months Ferrari has added the skincare group SkinCeuticals and the wearables company Whoop, according to Sportcal.
Neither Ferrari nor Rakuten disclosed the length or the financial value of the new agreement. Rakuten shares closed at ¥714.30 on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on the day of the announcement, essentially flat on the session.
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The Rakuten branding is due to appear on the 2027 Ferrari from the season-opening race of the 2027 Formula 1 calendar.
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