Adidas is close to landing a deal with the Audi F1 team, which would mark its second agreement in the Formula 1 market with a major German manufacturer, SportBusiness can reveal.
It is understood that discussions with the team behind the Audi F1 project are at an advanced stage and the global sportswear brand is close to a deal to become the Audi factory team’s apparel sponsor from its F1 entry in 2026. The Germany-based Adidas will enter F1 for the first time in 2025 with the Mercedes F1 team.
Adidas has not previously been part of the F1 market but the company now sees it as a target area, as detailed by Adidas chief executive Bjorn Gulden in an interview with German newspaper Bild earlier this year.
He said: “The three races in the United States have brought great visibility and interest to this sport even in the US, and Formula 1 is a big business. Most of the contracts in F1 regarding technical sponsors expire in 2026. We are talking with several teams, and the plans are so advanced that I can’t say anything. We will do so as soon as we can.”
It is perhaps no surprise that Adidas has chosen to enter F1 with two heavyweight German manufacturers, though SportBusiness understands it was also at the table for the Red Bull Racing apparel rights before Castore signed an expanded, long-term renewal ahead of the 2024 season.
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Castore’s presence also includes an agreement with McLaren Racing. The other sportswear brand prominent in F1 is Puma, which holds a top-tier global deal with Ferrari, as well as contracts with Williams Racing and Mercedes. The latter will conclude upon Adidas’ arrival at the start of next year.
From the Audi F1 project perspective, securing the signature of Adidas would mark a continuation of the strong early ground made by its commercial programme. Last month, the team announced a sponsorship and technical agreement with BP. The oil giant will fulfil the crucial F1 role of fuel supplier for the Audi team, while its associated brand Castrol will supply its range of lubricants and greases.
Audi F1 has also made crucial personnel appointments in recent weeks with the signing of former Red Bull Racing sporting director Jonathan Wheatley and former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto to leadership roles.
The first stages of Audi’s entry to F1 began in October 2022 as the Volkswagen Group-owned car brand announced it would join the series as a power unit supplier when new regulations featuring increased electrical power and wholly sustainable fuels are introduced in 2026.
Audi had initially opted to partner with Sauber and planned to acquire a stake in the Sauber Group, but chose to engage a full takeover of the organisation, which was completed earlier this year.
The Audi works team will officially be launched and join the grid in 2026. Sources told SportBusiness the team is likely to launch without a title sponsor, preferring to leverage the reach of the Audi brand.
Currently, the Sauber-owned team has title sponsorship agreements with online cryptocurrency-based gambling platform Stake.com and streaming platform Kick, both owned by EasyGo Gaming.