F1 and Hot Wheels have forged a partnership with limited edition die-cast car to be launched in 2025; as Felipe Drugovich gets Mexico GP FP1 drive.
Hot Wheels –
Formula 1 and Mattel, Inc. have today revealed a new global licensing partnership that will create F1-themed Hot Wheels products to bring the thrill of F1 racing to 1:64 scale. The partnership will kick off this year with the release of a one-of-a-kind F1 car, before the full Hot Wheels range is released in 2025.
The limited edition die-cast car, launched today on Mattel Creations, has a special Hot Wheels racing livery to celebrate the partnership, and includes interchangeable tyres, full metal body chassis and bespoke F1 casting. The car also features Hot Wheels’ iconic number ‘68’ on the nose, giving a fun nod to the year the brand debuted. The full range, which will launch in 2025, will feature cars from F1 Teams and include products designed to connect with F1’s growing young audience, as well as items that will appeal to adult collectors.
Formula 1 will also welcome the Hot Wheels brand to Grands Prix, with fan-focused activations and retail opportunities that will bring families together and celebrate the partnership at select events across the 2025 season and beyond. Available in more than 150 countries, Hot Wheels’ Single 1:64 Assortment was the number one item sold across all toys globally in 2023. More than 8 billion of the iconic cars have been sold over half a century.
Emily Prazer, Chief Commercial Officer of Formula 1, said: “This exciting collaboration with Mattel will bring together the adrenaline of motor racing and the excitement of toy
cars and provide opportunities to see the fine details that go into an F1 car, all in the palm of your hand. It’s more than just a partnership; it’s a celebration of speed, creativity and innovation that will bring fans a new way to engage with the sport.”
Roberto Stanichi, Executive Vice President, Hot Wheels & Head of Vehicles and Building Sets at Mattel, said: “Hot Wheels has always been about nurturing the challenger spirit, so the partnership with Formula 1 is a natural and exciting fit. It will bring two of the largest global fan communities together to share their passion for cars and racing.
“In collaboration with Formula 1, we have put together a program that allows kids to replicate the thrill of F1 racing where they can drive like the pros and engages with our loyal communities on a global scale. Like Hot Wheels, F1 is all about thrill and car performance, and the broad collection we’ve created will take F1 fandom to the next level along with additional consumer touchpoints like digital and retail activations.”
Felipe Drugovich –
Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team today announced that Felipe Drugovich will participate in Free Practice One at the Mexico City Grand Prix later this month. Felipe, the team’s Test & Reserve Driver, will take to the track during the 60-minute session at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, before Fernando Alonso returns to the car for FP2.
The session will mark Felipe’s first outing in the AMR24, a car he has helped to develop through his extensive simulator work at the team’s Technology Campus. By participating in the practice session, the Brazilian driver will partially fulfil the team’s requirement to run a rookie in two FP1s, with a second session planned for later in the year.
Felipe Drugovich, Test & Reserve Driver, Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team, said: “I’m really excited to drive the AMR24 for the first time — I’ve been looking forward to it for a while! I’ve spent a lot of the year working on the development of this car in the team’s simulator, so it will be valuable for me to feel the correlation between the sim and the real thing. Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is a track I haven’t driven before.
“It’s a challenging circuit with a mix of long straights and technical corners, so I’ll be spending time on the simulator ahead of the event so that I’m ready to go come FP1. I want to thank Aston Martin Aramco for trusting me with this opportunity, as well Banco Master for their continued support.”
Mike Krack, Team Principal, Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team, said: “We’re excited to give Felipe this first opportunity to drive the AMR24 during Free Practice One in Mexico City. Felipe is regularly in Silverstone on our simulator, contributing towards the development of this car with his detailed and thoughtful feedback, so it will be a rewarding experience for him to get out on track in Mexico. During the session, Felipe will be working his way through the team’s run plan, collecting vital data to support our decision-making throughout the rest of the weekend and aiding with the set-up of the car.”
Video: https://x.com/AstonMartinF1/status/1844007937536323649
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[Note: The story is as per press release]