Gatorade to sponsor Formula 1 sprint races

American sports portion Gatorade has go the authoritative spouse of Formula 1's sprint races successful a wide-ranging caller woody with Pepsi Co.

F1 announced a five-year authoritative concern with Pepsi connected Monday, which volition formally statesman successful 2026.

Elements of the woody volition beryllium evident from this season, with Gatorade's relation with the sprint contention acceptable to commencement astatine the Belgian Grand Prix successful July, the adjacent contention to beryllium held nether the format.

In 2021 F1 introduced a antithetic format which bumped 2 signifier sessions successful favour of a sprint qualifying and sprint race.

Sprints person proven to beryllium fashionable with fans -- F1 has said viewership goes up 10% verses non-sprint weekends -- and with contention promoters alike.

The popularity of the format was shown by F1's determination to summation the fig to six past play and bid brag Stefano Domenicali said the Gatorade woody shows however beardown it has go arsenic its ain entity.

"We thought it was the close relation -- the sprint has been 1 of the activities for caller fans that person been popular, giving them each time thing connected way that has immoderate relevance to the result," Domenicali told ESPN astir the Gatorade nexus with the sprint.

"We person shown to the avid fans that we bash respect and support astatine the centre the [on-track] product, always. If you look astatine the championship, the enactment connected way has ne'er been truthful tight. Our nonsubjective has ne'er been to dilute oregon destruct the worth of the existent beingness sport, arsenic thing has ever taken distant from that.

"I deliberation this makes the sprint adjacent much applicable for fans, connected the athletics side, due to the fact that we get different boost for it connected the commercialized side, but the absorption has ne'er stopped being connected the racing broadside itself."

Gatorade is 1 of the brands astir associated with sports successful America, having primitively been made for the University of Florida's pupil athletes, Gators, portion besides being the authoritative sports portion of the NFL, MLB and NBA.

The Gatorade ablution has go an iconic portion of championship-winning moments successful the NFL.

As the woody starts this year, the Gatorade nexus volition diagnostic during Austin's U.S. Grand Prix successful Austin, 1 of 2 U.S. races to clasp the sprint.

May's Miami Grand Prix besides featured the revised event.

The wider Pepsi woody has aggregate other elements to it, with Sting joining arsenic the sport's authoritative vigor portion and Doritos joining arsenic authoritative savoury snack spouse -- some from 2026 onwards.