Mercedes signs multi-brand PepsiCo deal from 2026 — Gatorade brings science, Doritos brings spice
Mercedes has landed a heavyweight commercial tie-up with PepsiCo that will plant three of the company’s biggest names — Gatorade, Sting and Doritos — on the grid from 2026, in what the team is calling a “landmark global partnership.”
It’s the first time PepsiCo has bundled three brands into a single F1 team deal, and the timing is no coincidence. With the sport heading into a major rules reset in 2026, Mercedes is busy sharpening its on- and off-track package around George Russell and rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
The performance pillar is Gatorade. Its Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) will be embedded with the team for the first time, supporting Russell and Antonelli in a championship where drivers can shed up to four kilograms in fluids over a race. Expect sweat mapping, fueling protocols, and personalized hydration strategies to quietly become part of Mercedes’ competitive toolbox next season.
On the lifestyle side, PepsiCo is splitting the brief. Sting — the company’s energy drink popular with younger audiences — is tasked with tapping into Gen Z fandom, while Doritos will lean into its unapologetic brand voice for fan-facing activations. It’s a neat three-lane approach: science in the garage, energy in the paddock, edge in the grandstands.
“This partnership unites performance, energy and flavour under one banner,” said Eugene Willemsen, CEO for International Beverages at PepsiCo, who pitched the tie-up as a culture play as much as a performance one. “Through Gatorade, Sting and Doritos, we’re inside the culture of the sport, fuelling both the athletes and the fans who live for the thrill of F1.”
Toto Wolff framed it as another sign of Mercedes’ commercial pull and a practical addition to the team’s daily operations. “Welcoming a company with a portfolio as strong as PepsiCo’s is another sign of the strength of our team and our sport,” he said. “Gatorade’s expertise in sports science, Sting’s youthful energy and Doritos’ cultural relevance each bring something unique. Together, they create a partnership that supports performance and enhances the fan experience.”
Chief Commercial Officer Richard Sanders added that the agreement will stretch from hospitality to content to at-track activations — the kind that tend to make a difference on race weekends beyond the cockpit.
The deal begins in 2026, so don’t expect Gatorade bottles to suddenly pop up on the Mercedes pit wall this season. But the groundwork will start now. Integrating GSSI’s people and methods is not an overnight process, especially with a 19-year-old rookie in Antonelli stepping into the most scrutinized seat in the sport this side of Maranello. The physiology of a grand prix is brutal, and marginal gains in hydration and recovery can be worth lap time — or at least keep it from falling away in the final stint.
There’s also a broader strategic layer here. The 2026 regulations promise a reset in both aero and power unit concepts, and brands want to be attached to stories that run long. Multi-year means this isn’t a one-and-done splash; it’s a runway for PepsiCo to build presence as F1 evolves, and for Mercedes to knit the partnership into its next era.
For fans, the visible bit will be the drivers fronting joint campaigns and behind-the-scenes pieces across the season, with the Doritos and Sting arms likely to activate around races and fan zones. For the engineers, the payoff is quieter — measured in blood panels, sweat rates and electrolyte balance.
Mercedes, meanwhile, is rolling into 2025 with Russell and Antonelli at the helm as the team resets following Lewis Hamilton’s departure. The PepsiCo play is a reminder that the rebuild isn’t just about wind tunnels and simulators. It’s also about who you bring into the room.
