Leading up to its imminent debut on the 2026 Formula 1 grid, Audi is understood to have agreed on a sponsorship deal with Adidas.
Sauber is set to bow out of F1 after the 2025 season, with the team having been acquired by automotive giants Audi earlier this year.
The Hinwil-based squad will be rebranded as a fully-fledged works outfit from 2026 onwards.
Audi’s arrival on the grid as an engine manufacturer has been met with widespread anticipation, and it is reported that the team has started making strategic partnerships within the sport.
At the start of 2025, Adidas announced that it had entered the sport through a multi-year apparel deal with eight-time Constructors’ champions, Mercedes.
Now, the sportswear Goliath is rumoured to be partnering up with Audi for 2026 as per SportBusiness.
It is also understood that this will have no impact on the brand’s current deal with Mercedes.
The brand’s association with F1 has been longstanding. In the 1990s, its logos were featured on cars such as Footwork and Larrousse, though in minor stead.
Therefore, Adidas’ deal with the Silver Arrows was the company’s first formal foray into the world of Grand Prix racing.
With Audi, if the deal comes through, Adidas will have two of the biggest German motoring brands in its arsenal, further establishing itself against rivals such as Puma in motorsport.
Could it be that Adidas is eyeing Puma’s spot in the pecking order of F1 apparel partners?
Adidas’ arrival at Mercedes coincided with Lewis Hamilton calling it quits at the Brackley-based team after 12 years of service.
“Lewis said that it’s probably the sports brand with the most cultural relevance,” Mercedes Team Principal, Toto Wolff revealed.
“He had a crying and laughing reaction, I think, knowing that we were going to Adidas.”
With Hamilton now at Ferrari, the 40-year-old could persuade the top brass at the Maranello-based team to reconsider its 20-year alliance with Puma in favour of Adidas.
Furthermore, Williams is also in the market for a new sponsor in 2026 after deciding not to renew its two-year deal with Puma, it is claimed.
If so, Adidas could very well claim almost a quarter of the entire sponsorship market available to sportswear brands in F1 in only a couple of years.
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