Formula 1 launches ‘Five Lights’ campaign ahead of Dutch Grand Prix

MUMBAI: Five lights, one heartbeat and Formula 1 is ready to switch the action back on. Ahead of the FORMULA 1 HEINEKEN DUTCH GRAND PRIX 2026, Formula 1 has launched ‘Five Lights’, a new global marketing campaign built around the sport’s familiar pre-race countdown.

The campaign is fronted by a 90-second film featuring all 22 F1 drivers, with Academy Award-nominated actor and F1 fan Colin Farrell providing the voiceover. The film is set to Reign by UNKLE featuring Ian Brown and builds towards the moment the five lights go out and the race begins.

Running from 16 August to 13 September, the campaign coincides with Formula 1’s return to action at Zandvoort on 21 August, marking the beginning of the second half of the 2026 season.

Rather than focusing on the roar of the engines alone, Five Lights zooms in on the few seconds before it all begins. As each of the five lights illuminates, the film explores the concentration, anticipation and pressure inside the cockpit, turning a familiar race-day ritual into the central creative idea.

Developed and produced by creative branded content agency WING in collaboration with Formula 1, the campaign will extend across social media and digital platforms. F1 will also take over six major advertising locations across the UK and US.

These include Piccadilly Circus and The Outernet in London; Sunset Boulevard, The Moxy and the Music District in Los Angeles; Times Square at the intersection of 45th Street and Broadway in New York; and Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip.

The campaign arrives as Formula 1 enters the second half of what has been another record-breaking season. The sport now has more than 830 million fans worldwide, while all 11 Grands Prix held so far in 2026 have sold out.

The season has also delivered six new circuit attendance records, alongside rising television audiences, stronger digital engagement and a growing roster of commercial partners.

The Dutch Grand Prix on 21 August will restart the championship with Mercedes leading both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Championships. With the title battles intensifying, Five Lights serves as a fitting starting signal for the run towards the season finale.

Emily Prazer, Chief Commercial Officer, Formula 1, said Five Lights was created to capture the anticipation, excitement and pressure that converge in the moments before a race begins, while reflecting the connection fans share with teams and drivers.