Gatorade to sponsor Formula 1 sprint races
American sports drink Gatorade has become the official partner of Formula 1‘s sprint races in a wide-ranging new deal with Pepsi Co.
F1 announced a five-year official partnership with Pepsi on Monday, which will formally begin in 2026.
Elements of the deal will be apparent from this season, with Gatorade’s association with the sprint race set to start at the Belgian Grand Prix in July, the next race to be held under the format.
In 2021 F1 introduced a different format which bumped two practice sessions in favour of a sprint qualifying and sprint race.
Sprints have proven to be popular with fans — F1 has said viewership goes up 10% verses non-sprint weekends — and with race promoters alike.
The popularity of the format was shown by F1’s decision to increase the number to six last season and series boss Stefano Domenicali said the Gatorade deal shows how strong it has become as its own entity.
“We thought it was the right association — the sprint has been one of the activities for new fans that have been popular, giving them every day something on track that has some relevance to the result,” Domenicali told ESPN about the Gatorade link with the sprint.
“We have shown to the avid fans that we do respect and keep at the centre the [on-track] product, always. If you look at the championship, the action on track has never been so tight. Our objective has never been to dilute or destroy the value of the real life sport, as nothing has ever taken away from that.
“I think this makes the sprint even more relevant for fans, on the sport side, because we get another boost for it on the commercial side, but the focus has never stopped being on the racing side itself.”
Gatorade is one of the brands most associated with sports in America, having originally been made for the University of Florida‘s student athletes, Gators, while also being the official sports drink of the NFL, MLB and NBA.
The Gatorade shower has become an iconic part of championship-winning moments in the NFL.
As the deal starts this year, the Gatorade link will feature during Austin‘s U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, one of two U.S. races to hold the sprint.
May’s Miami Grand Prix also featured the revised event.
The wider Pepsi deal has multiple extra elements to it, with Sting joining as the sport’s official energy drink and Doritos joining as official savoury snack partner — both from 2026 onwards.
Source: espn.com