A seemingly casual visit by tennis star Carlos Alcaraz to the Bahrain pre-season testing circuit has highlighted the intense brand wars within Formula 1. While visiting fellow Spaniard Fernando Alonso at the Aston Martin F1 garage, Alcaraz appeared in several official photos that were later shared with the caption “Serving Aura.”
However, eagle-eyed fans noticed a digital anomaly: the watch on Alcaraz’s wrist had been surgically removed from certain official visuals. The reason behind the edit is a direct clash of high-stakes sponsorships. Alcaraz is a prominent global ambassador for Rolex and was sporting a Cosmograph Daytona during his visit.,
Meanwhile, Aston Martin has recently finalized a major partnership with Breitling as its official timepiece for the 2026 season. To avoid showcasing a direct competitor’s product in their branded content, Aston Martin’s marketing team opted to digitally erase the Rolex. This incident serves as a clear example of the extreme vigilance F1 teams must maintain regarding cross-sponsorship conflicts and contractual exclusivity.