Guenther Steiner Swaps Pit Wall for Food Stall in Amex and Sky Sports F1 Campaign

American Express has partnered with Sky Media for the first time on a social-first Sky Sports Formula 1 campaign. It stars former Formula 1 team principal Guenther Steiner as he swaps the pit wall for the food stall to experience whether running a Formula 1 team has prepared him to run a small business during one of the busiest weekends in the motorsport calendar.

Guenther steps behind the counter at independent food business Chicken George during the British FORMULA 1 PIRELLI BRITISH GRAND PRIX 2026, swapping race strategy for food orders as the team serves thousands of hungry fans across the weekend.

He gets stuck into life at Chicken George, from preparing for a major race weekend to keeping orders moving when thousands of fans descend on the FORMULA 1 PIRELLI BRITISH GRAND PRIX 2026. There is just one complication: Steiner also has to try to make it through a shift without being recognised by F1 fans. Along the way, he discovers that the worlds of fried chicken and Formula 1 have more in common than one might think. Both rely on a strong team, meticulous preparation and keeping your cool when the pressure ramps up.

The campaign aims to build awareness and consideration of Amex Business Cards by showing how they can help small business owners manage and grow their businesses. Using humour and entertainment, the campaign brings this to life by spotlighting the people and teams working behind the scenes at major sporting events.

Formula 1 provides a natural setting for the campaign. Amex is an Official Partner of Formula 1 and a payment partner of Silverstone, and sport is a key passion point for its small business audience. The partnership builds on those existing connections while putting independent businesses – and the people behind them – centre stage.

Sky Media led, developed and delivered the campaign through to production, bringing together Amex, Sky Sports, Steiner and Chicken George. As the home of Formula 1 in the UK and Ireland, Sky Sports provides Amex with an opportunity to take the story directly to highly engaged motorsport audiences across its social and digital channels.

The campaign launches on 27th August, between the FORMULA 1 HEINEKEN DUTCH GRAND PRIX 2026 and FORMULA 1 PIRELLI GRAN PREMIO D’ITALIA 2026, and will run for three weeks. A long-form hero film will launch on Sky Sports' YouTube channel, supported by social content across Sky Sports' Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. A 20-second short-form creative will also run across Sky’s digital platforms, with Amex extending the campaign across its owned channels.

​David Edwards, VP demand generation, said, “This campaign is a fun way to bring together Amex’s backing of small businesses with its Formula 1 partnership. By putting Guenther at the heart of Chicken George’s operation, we’re able to shine a light on the teamwork, preparation and resilience that goes into performing under pressure – whether you’re running a race team or a small business.”

​Karin Seymour, director of client and marketing, said, “Sports fandom is a fantastic way to connect Amex with its audience with a fresh and authentic feel. We are delighted to help bring this partnership to life and as the home of Formula 1 in the UK and Ireland, Sky Sports is the perfect platform to support Amex’s mission to back small businesses.”

Deal brokered by UM London. Creative produced by Sky Media Commercial Production.