Motorsport email marketing, done right. I bring 6+ years of digital experience (and nearly one in motorsport) to help teams and brands send emails fans actually care about.
Red Bull Racing vs. Scuderia Ferrari – Welcome email flow Case Study 🔥
A closer look at how two top F1 teams introduce themselves via emailIntroductionI subscribe to a lot of motorsport newsletters — teams, circuits, events, travel brands. As an emailing specialist with a passion for F1, I wanted to take a closer look at how Formula 1 teams welcome new subscribers into their world. So I ran a little test:
Spoiler: it’s wild how different it can be. And yes, you guys can copy each other's floors, sidepods and wings… but still struggle to copy a decent email strategy? 😅 Sign-up experience: Entry into the inbox🟥 FerrariFerrari’s newsletter sign-up is a bit hidden — the CTA sits at the bottom of their homepage, with no standout placement or dedicated landing page. The form is very basic (email only), with no personalization options. Once submitted, I received a double opt-in confirmation email, which is a great practice for keeping your list clean. However, clicking the confirmation link led me to… the Italian version of the site, despite signing up in English. Ciao confusion. 🔵 Red Bull RacingRed Bull offers two ways to sign up: a basic email field on their homepage, and a dedicated Newsletter section in their menu with a full form - including name, country, and favorite driver (Max or Yuki). Smart move: this hints at future segmentation possibilities. I signed up through the detailed form. It took a few minutes, but I received a visually impressive, personalized welcome email - including a letter from Christian Horner. When I signed up using just the homepage field… nothing arrived.
Update: What happens when the team changes?
A few days before publishing this case study, Christian Horner was removed as Red Bull Racing Team Principal with immediate effect.
Just minutes after the news broke, I re-signed up for Red Bull’s newsletter - curious whether the welcome email automation had been adjusted.
📬 The letter from Christian Horner was gone.
That might sound small, but it’s a big deal. It means the Red Bull marketing team was alert and updated their automation instantly - avoiding a major brand tone misstep.
That’s email marketing done right. 👏 First email received: Design, tone & content🔵 Red Bull RacingSubject line: “Strap In – Your Oracle Red Bull Racing Experience Starts Now” The email is bold, branded, and packed with content:
Honestly, it’s a lot. Beautifully designed, yes - but slightly overwhelming. So much going on, it’s hard to know where to click. I’d suggest splitting it into a short welcome series, rather than squeezing everything into one inbox explosion. That said - this email feels like something. Like you’ve just entered the team’s inner circle. 🟥 FerrariSubject line: “Thank you! Ferrari.com” That’s it. The email is clean but very plain:
Sure, it’s elegant - but it doesn’t spark emotion. There’s no personalization, no energy, no storytelling. For a brand so deeply rooted in passion and legacy, the email feels… transactional. Side-by-side comparisonKey takeaways🔵 Red Bull Racing ✔ Great first impression — visually strong, emotionally engaging ✔ Form allows for segmentation potential ✔ Marketing team agile and responsive to real-time events ✖ Slightly too much content in one email ✖ No double opt-in confirmation (could risk deliverability) 🟥 Ferrari ✔ Uses best practices for confirmation flow ✔ Fast delivery ✖ Weak personalization and emotion ✖ Missed opportunity to build connection with the fan Final thoughtsWelcome emails aren’t just a formality - they’re your team’s first lap in building loyalty, engagement, and trust. Red Bull’s flow feels like a personal invite into the garage. Ferrari’s? A polite store receipt. And when the unexpected happens - like a leadership change mid-season - how your automations behave reveals everything about the quality of your strategy. There’s no perfect formula (even in F1), but if you work in motorsport email marketing - or want to - these first impressions are exactly where small improvements create huge wins. Case study written by Veronika Ježíková, email marketing specialist focused on motorsport. Want more inbox breakdowns like this? Subscribe to Inbox to Circuit 💌 This case study is based solely on publicly available emails I received after subscribing to each team’s newsletter. I have no internal insight into their strategy or tools - the analysis reflects my personal observations as an email marketing specialist. |
Inbox to circuit
Motorsport email marketing, done right. I bring 6+ years of digital experience (and nearly one in motorsport) to help teams and brands send emails fans actually care about.