Adidas Ties Multi-Year Deal With Audi F1 to Expand Motorsport Reach

Adidas is making its biggest push yet into Formula 1, signing a multi-year deal with the future Audi F1 Team that will debut ahead of the 2026 season.

The partnership will deliver technical gear for drivers and crew while also giving fans worldwide access to a new range of apparel, footwear, and accessories.

Adidas CEO Bjoern Gulden called the partnership a natural extension of the brand’s motorsport ambitions.

“Bringing together the iconic Four Rings and our Three Stripes to the 2026 paddock marks an exciting new chapter in motorsport,” he said.

“We are very much looking forward to unveil all that we have planned as we look to enable the drivers and the team to succeed and engage a new generation of motorsport fans!"

Jonathan Wheatley, Team Principal of the future Audi F1 Team, added that the partnership was about more than outfitting drivers.

“Beyond the race, our shared ambition is to inspire a new generation of motorsport fans through innovation, style, and an unwavering pursuit of excellence,” he said.

Adidas has already been testing the Formula 1 waters through its partnerships with Mercedes-AMG Petronas.

Earlier this year, it rolled out the Silver Arrows collection, inspired by the Mercedes-Benz W196, while in April it launched a Miami-themed Summer Pack with bold coral and burgundy patterns.

The Audi deal, however, signals a step up, tying Adidas directly to a team entering the sport’s most competitive stage.

What Fans Can Expect in 2026

The Adidas x Audi F1 collection is set for a February 2026 launch, just weeks before Audi’s highly anticipated grid debut.

The range will mix high-performance pieces for team members with consumer-focused fanwear designed to highlight Audi’s clean design philosophy alongside Adidas’ sport heritage.

Gernot Döllner, CEO of Audi AG, framed the collaboration as one that extends Audi’s values into motorsport’s top tier.

“Our partnership in Formula 1 goes far beyond the pursuit of innovation and peak performance: it combines the strengths and visions of two progressive brands,” he said.

The collection will be sold globally through Adidas’ retail network and online platforms, making it accessible to Audi’s loyal supporters and to younger fans just entering the sport.

With F1 continuing to grow its global footprint, fanwear activations like these allow sportswear brands to extend influence beyond the track.

For Adidas, the partnership is also a branding exercise.

Motorsport offers an opportunity to explore different types of branding while still appealing to mass-market consumers.

Unlike niche sponsorships, F1’s international stage gives the brand a consistent presence in emerging markets where F1 viewership has soared.

The Audi deal gives the brand a long-term platform to unify those efforts under one banner.

Last year, Adidas garnered an annual revenue of $25.627 billion, marking a 10.51% increase from the previous year. 

What Marketers Can Learn from Audi F1 x Adidas

For brands and agencies, Adidas and Audi provide a prime example of how brand partnerships can expand reach in sports-driven markets.

Key takeaways include:

• F1-related apparel collabs can tap into F1's growing fanbase and lend global brands an aspirational status.
• Partnerships work best when they extend beyond performance wear and include various opportunities for fan engagement.
• Linking product design with a team’s debut creates moments that stick with the fans, as seen with Adidas’ earlier Mercedes collections.

Other brands have leaned on Formula 1 to refresh their image, such as Puma’s previous expansion with Ferrari and Red Bull Racing.

Now, it's only a matter of whether or not Adidas can sustain the momentum amongst fans after it makes its debut on the track. 

Our Take: Can Apparel Drive F1 Loyalty?

Formula 1 has always been a circus of speed, sweat, and spectacle.

Now, Adidas wants to stitch itself into the act by dressing mechanics in tech gear and by selling you and me a piece of that adrenaline.

It’s less about lap times and more about whether a shirt or pair of kicks can make someone feel like they belong in the paddock.

I’ve seen brands chase motorsport hype before, but too often it comes off like cosplay.

What makes this move interesting is the timing: Audi’s first season, a clean slate, and Adidas sliding in with the promise of giving fans something real to wear.

If they can avoid turning it into generic lifestyle mush and instead channel the grit of the garage, that’s when the clothes will mean something. 

In other news, Hollywood stars Lana Condor and Evan Mock starred in a series of romcom-inspired spots for Tinder.