In a bold move to supercharge the future of women in motorsport, Gatorade® has announced a groundbreaking multi-year partnership with F1 ACADEMY™, becoming the first-ever official sports drink partner of the all-female racing series. The landmark agreement, which runs through 2030, signals a major step in supporting gender equity in elite motorsport and underscores Gatorade’s growing commitment to nurturing young talent on the world stage.
This collaboration kicks off in high gear at this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, where 16-year-old Wild Card driver Mathilda Paatz will debut a Gatorade-branded race car and suit — marking the first time the brand’s signature lightning bolt hits the F1 grid. “I’m beyond excited to have been selected as the Wild Card driver for Round 4 of F1 ACADEMY at the Canadian Grand Prix,” said Paatz, a rising star from Cologne, Germany. “Growing up, I was captivated by the theatre of racing — the energy, the passion, and how drivers carried the pride of their teams. To now be racing on a Formula 1 weekend, with fans around the world watching, is a dream come true.”
The F1 ACADEMY, launched in 2023 under the direction of Managing Director Susie Wolff, was created to close the gender gap in motorsport and develop the next generation of female racing talent. With Gatorade on board, the program gains not just a globally recognised brand, but a partner deeply rooted in sports performance science.
“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,” Wolff said. “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.”
Through its Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI), the brand will provide F1 ACADEMY drivers with personalised hydration strategies, performance testing, and nutritional guidance — vital support in a sport where drivers can lose up to four kilograms of body weight during a single race. This science-driven approach ties into Gatorade’s Fuel Tomorrow initiative, which aims to give 2.5 million teens access to sports by 2030.
“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. “By supporting young women at the start of their motorsport journey, we’re not just setting them up for success — we’re encouraging them to see what is in them and fuel their drive and ambition.”
The announcement comes during a moment of rising momentum for F1 ACADEMY. Its recently released Netflix documentary series F1: THE ACADEMY has brought global visibility to the athletes and their mission, and the series now broadcasts in over 170 territories worldwide.
The Gatorade x F1 ACADEMY partnership will scale further in 2026, introducing a fully backed driver on the grid with a custom-designed livery and race suit, as well as bespoke hydration research tailored specifically to female drivers.
“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 is a bold step forward in our mission to fuel fandom and create culture-driving moments.”
As the engines roar in Montreal this weekend, the message is clear: the future of motorsport is not only fast — it’s female, and it’s fuelled by science.
