Hello Kitty is coming to the Strip: F1 Academy’s Las Vegas finale gets a kawaii twist
F1 Academy’s season will end in Las Vegas with a very different kind of roar, as Hello Kitty joins the show for a full-throttle crossover that’s equal parts savvy and subversive.
The all-female series has confirmed a partnership with the Japanese icon for its 2025 curtain call, rolling out a 36-piece merchandise line, dedicated Hello Kitty grandstands, and on-site activations including a Hello Kitty Café. It’s not a sticker-on-the-nose partnership either; this is a full brand moment built into one of the sport’s loudest weekends.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Hello Kitty and Friends to celebrate the final round of our season,” said F1 Academy managing director Susie Wolff. “Set against the iconic skyline, we’re creating a finale like no other. With the Hello Kitty Grandstand experience and merchandise range, we want to go out with a bang and challenge the outdated perceptions of what belongs in motorsport.”
That last bit is the tell. Since Liberty Media took over F1’s commercial reins, the sport’s partnerships have widened beyond the old guard. Tobacco logos gave way to tech, luxury and lifestyle crossovers, with fan-first products and social media in lockstep. F1 Academy, in its third year, is very much a product of that era — built to develop female talent while speaking to an audience that looks increasingly different to the paddock of 20 years ago.
Hello Kitty fits the brief like a custom race suit. Born as a children’s character, the brand was repositioned long ago toward teens and adults, now mixing with luxury capsules and nostalgia-fueled collabs. Its following skews heavily female, and that aligns with the sport’s shift: women now account for a substantial slice of F1’s global fanbase, and F1 Academy is accelerating that trend with its own following.
This isn’t just about pink seats and cute coffee cups. It’s a strategic nod to where growth is coming from. As Nielsen’s sports chief Jon Stainer noted late last year, F1’s surge among women and new markets has been driven by how teams and drivers open up access and personality. New categories follow the audience, not the other way around.
On track, the stakes are sharp. F1 Academy has two rounds left: Singapore next, then Las Vegas to settle it. Mercedes junior Doriane Pin leads the standings on 127 points after three wins, with Ferrari’s Maya Weug hunting her down. The Strip will be a show; the title fight could be a street brawl.
There’ll be the usual debate from traditionalists about where the line is between sport and spectacle. But the reality is simple: if you want the next generation trackside — and behind the wheel — you meet them where they are. In 2025, that might mean a grandstand dotted with bows and a café serving latte art you’ll see across your feed five minutes later. And if that helps a young fan discover Pin vs. Weug, or put a new name on a karting shortlist, it’s done its job.
Las Vegas isn’t shy and neither is this partnership. It’s bright, a little cheeky, and cleverly targeted. Most importantly, it plants a flag: F1 Academy isn’t just a support act — it’s building its own scene and inviting the wider world to join in.
