Adidas enters F1 as partner of Mercedes AMG Petronas

The German sports equipment manufacturer replaces its competitor Puma as partner of the Formula 1 team from the 2025 season in a multi-year partnership announced on Tuesday. Mercedes AMG Petronas is a flagship team in the championship, even if it finished fourth in the last competition.

The deal with Adidas was expected and had already been discussed in the media last year after leaked images of the brand's clothing. Mercedes said the specially designed kit would also be made available to fans, with limited editions planned throughout the year. The range will include clothing, footwear and accessories and will be revealed next month, ahead of the season's start in Australia on March 16.

“Our partnership with Adidas is a clear statement of intent as we begin to write our next chapter as a team,” Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said in a statement.

“The interest in motorsport in general and in Formula 1 in particular has increased greatly. It reaches new consumers and has a great influence on the sport and street culture. We are extremely proud to introduce all three bands in F1”, reacted Bjorn Gulden, the group's general manager, who was well aware of the agreement with Puma, having been the boss of the feline until 2023.

This is not the only major change at Mercedes since the team also sees Lewis Hamilton, who won six of his seven world titles with the team, leave for Ferrari. He was replaced in the team by 18-year-old Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli, who will partner George Russell.

Mercedes is not the only team to change equipment supplier. The BWT Alpine Formula One team will be dressed by the British brand Castore, which already equips the McLaren team. For its part, Puma remains the equipment supplier for Ferrari and Alfa Romeo but also, since last year, for F1 as a brand in its own right. Sponsorship in the world of Formula 1 has boomed since the start of the decade with, according to the international federation, annual revenue from team sponsorships increasing by 20% between 2023 and 2024.