Citibank Returns to Formula 1

The F1 season kicked off in Bahrain this past Sunday. One exciting result was the performance of the Aston Martin F1 Team with Fernando Alonso finishing third and Lance Stroll placing sixth. Stroll came back from recent serious wrist injuries after a bike accident and having no practice time in the car.

One new feature on the Aston Martin halo is the ‘Citi’ logo. It is great to see my former employer back in Formula 1 after more than forty decades.

Citi undertook a major sponsorship program through its First National City Bank’s Travelers Checks division; 1976 with March and 1977 with Tyrrell. I recall talking to the Citi executive in charge of the sponsorship program at a reception and learning about Formula 1 for the first time.

If you are not a baby boomer, you probably do not remember how important the use of travelers’ checks was for anyone traveling from or to the USA.

With thanks and credit to Matt Bishop for the photos from one of his social media posts.