The world of Formula 1 is experiencing a notable change with the entry of wellness brands looking to connect with teams and their fans. As the competition approaches 2026, logos of sleep trackers, isotonic drinks, and wearable devices now illuminate the paddocks, replacing major names from traditional banking and technology companies.
This year, three teams have formalized partnerships with wellness brands. Ferrari opened its commercial season in January with WHOOP, a fitness device brand making its first entry into F1, showcasing its logo on the car and on the drivers’ gear. Aston Martin has collaborated with Eight Sleep, a sleep technology company, whose logo decorates the nose of the car and the balaclavas of the drivers, while also signing a contract with the energy drink company Celsius. McLaren, for its part, joined Liquid I.V., a hydration brand, in April, just before the Miami Grand Prix.
Growing market
Data on sponsorship in F1 is promising; the value of team sponsorship reached figures of 2.54 billion dollars in 2025, a 22% increase compared to the previous year, according to SponsorUnited. Although the technology and financial sectors dominate almost all investment, new wellness brands are well-funded. WHOOP was valued at 3.6 billion dollars in 2021, Eight Sleep secured 100 million dollars last year, and PepsiCo invested 550 million dollars in Celsius in 2022.
Performance through wellness
Each of these collaborations is based on improving performance. “In Formula 1, performance is the result of marginal gains that accumulate over the season,” commented Jefferson Slack, commercial director of Aston Martin, when presenting the partnership with Eight Sleep. He adds that “sleep is a critical factor for performance”. According to Lorenzo Giorgetti of Ferrari, the collaboration with WHOOP will allow the team to “expand our data-driven approach beyond the car”.
These solutions benefit not only the drivers but also mechanics and engineers. Ferrari’s medical team uses WHOOP data to monitor the sleep, stress, and recovery of their personnel. The beds from Eight Sleep, designed for long travels and time zone changes, are ideal for coping with the demands of a rigorous schedule, like the recent triple-header of races from Baku to Sepang and Singapore.
Connection with fans
One of the major incentives of these partnerships is that wellness brands offer products that fans can purchase. For example, Celsius and Aston Martin have taken their racing club to cities like Melbourne, Miami, Montreal, and London, with tickets for a 5-kilometer race that sold out. Liquid I.V. began its collaboration with McLaren with a fan-oriented event in Miami, betting heavily on the North American market.
This world of wellness represents a goal that fans can now aspire to achieve, using and embracing the products and technologies visible on competition vehicles.
Perspectives and considerations
However, there are reasons to be cautious. Partnerships can be ephemeral; Celsius collaborated with Ferrari from 2023 to 2025, and then moved to Aston Martin. Eight Sleep had been a supplier for Mercedes in 2022 before changing to Aston Martin. Additionally, no team publishes data indicating whether better sleep quality actually translates into on-track performance.
Dr. Kristen Holmes, who leads the scientific performance collaboration between WHOOP and Ferrari, confirmed that the data on performance, rest, and stress levels of the team have significantly improved thanks to this collaboration. Although the best results may not be immediate, a healthier team is undoubtedly easier to support.
Currently, brands trust that fans want to be a part of these routines as much as the racing spectacle itself. With the backing of a racing club sold in London, they could be right.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
