Gatorade to become official sports drink partner for F1 Academy
Gatorade has announced a unique partnership with the F1 Academy becoming its official sports drink partner. The partnership will be in place until 2030 and Gatorade says the collaboration goes far beyond branding, leveraging Gatorade’s world-class sports science and hydration expertise to fuel the next generation of elite female drivers.
Through this partnership, F1 Academy will be able to use the Gatorade Sport Science Institute’s expertise, including personalised hydration strategies, performance testing, and research to help racers maintain their performance where it is not uncommon for racers to lose up to four kilograms of body weight through sweat during a single race.
This partnership is part of Gatorade’s Fuel Tomorrow initiative, which looks to provide 2.5 million teens with access to sports by 2030. By supporting F1 Academy, Gatorade looks to overcome barriers in motorsport and inspire young women to pursue their potential, Gatorade said in a press release.
Umi Patel, PepsiCo’s Vice President of Marketing Innovation and Hydration Brands, said: “Partnering with F1 ACADEMY is a powerful moment for Gatorade. Motorsport is one of the most physically demanding sports on the planet, where optimum hydration can be the difference between winning and losing,” said Umi Patel, PepsiCo’s vice-president of marketing innovation and hydration brands. “This partnership allows us to bring our decades of sports science expertise directly to the next generation of elite drivers. By supporting young women at the start of their motorsport journey, we’re not just setting them up for success at such a pivotal part of their career, we are encouraging them to see what is in them and fuel their drive and ambition for success. That’s what our Fuel Tomorrow initiative is all about.”
To announce this new partnership, F1 Academy Wild Card driver Mathilda Paatz will debut the Gatorade race car and suit at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.
“I’m beyond excited to have been selected as the Wild Card driver for Round 4 of F1 Academy at the Canadian Grand Prix, driving the Gatorade race car. Growing up, I was captivated by the theatre of racing—the energy, the passion, and how drivers carried the pride of their teams,” Paatz said. “To now be racing on a Formula 1 weekend, with fans around the world watching, is a dream come true. I’m especially proud to partner with Gatorade, a brand that’s championed athletes at every level and is helping pave the way for the next generation of women in motorsport.”
“We’re proud to welcome Gatorade to the F1 ACADEMY family,” said Susie Wolff, managing director of F1 ACADEMY. “What has impressed me most about Gatorade is how seriously they’re investing in our drivers, not just as athletes, but as individuals with incredible potential. This isn’t a surface-level sponsorship, it’s a deeply hands-on partnership that brings world-class hydration science and performance expertise directly to our paddock. With the world-class expertise of Gatorade, not only will our drivers be better equipped to perform at their peak, but they’ll also gain knowledge and tools that will serve them throughout their careers.”
This collaboration follows PepsiCo’s recently announced multi-year worldwide official partnership with F1, running until 2030.
“At PepsiCo, we believe in the power of platforms and partnerships to shape the future of sport – and to do so with purpose,” said Jane Wakely, PepsiCo’s chief consumer and marketing officer. “This partnership with F1 Academy and our wider worldwide partnership with F1, one of the world’s fastest growing sports, is a bold step forward in our mission to fuel fandom, create culture-driving moments and incredible brand experiences on a global scale.”
