F1 breaks into unexpected market with 'inspired' new product and partnership

F1 and Leica Camera have launched a special-edition Leica Q3 43 Formula 1 camera, the first product to emerge from a new licensing partnership between the sport and the German optics manufacturer.

The Leica Q3 43 Formula 1 Edition has been priced at 9,950 US dollars, 7,300 British pounds and 8,500 euros, and will be sold through Leica Stores, the Leica Online Store and specialist retailers.

The camera's design draws directly on motorsport. A non-slip microvelour covering modelled on a racing steering wheel wraps the body, while carbon fibre, a material not traditionally used in Leica products but a mainstay in motor racing for combining low weight with high rigidity, forms the visible structure on the handgrips and thumb rests. A Formula 1 logo sits on the top plate and lens cap.

Leica has also developed an exclusive colour profile for the camera, delivering higher contrast and richer saturation to capture the atmosphere of the track and paddock.

The look is accessible through the Leica FOTOS app and can be applied live while shooting, appearing in the viewfinder rather than only during post-processing. The same app transfers images and video to mobile devices.

Part of a wider push

The camera is the latest in a run of consumer licensing deals struck by Formula 1 beyond the racetrack.

The sport has signed agreements covering board games with Hasbro, building toys and collectables with Lego and Mattel Hot Wheels, trading cards with Topps, and book publishing with Dorling Kindersley.