Latest news with #Gatorade-branded
Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
How a ‘little girl with a huge dream' made her way to Formula 1's Canadian Grand Prix
Most 16-year-olds are working on finding themselves. Some are learning to drive, many are nervously courting crushes and others are finding hobbies to distract themselves from the mundanity of school and adolescence. Mathilda Paatz has been focusing her attention on racing 240 kilometres an hour, thousands of miles from home, in a metronomically engineered car. She will race at the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend as the wild-card driver in the F1 Academy , a female-only racing championship designed to feed promising young drivers into F2 and F3, the lower tiers of the international racing hierarchy. MONTREAL (AP) — Lance Stroll has been cleared to race at the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend It's an unconventional track for a 16-year-old, but one that is firmly in Paatz's blood. A native of Cologne, Germany, she got into racing through her father, Michael, who drove primarily in endurance championships in Europe. As if she needed any more inspiration to get involved, her father's racing team bears her name: Mathilda Racing. 'It's always been a passion and I was always behind the wheel,' she told the Star. 'When I first got into a kart, I just felt like this is my spot, I want to do more, and so I kept going.' The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal is, in Paatz's words, a technical track that will be difficult to drive, especially for younger drivers. At just over four kilometres in length, it takes most fewer than two minutes per lap. Drivers zoom down its long straights and around the small lake in the centre of Île Notre-Dame, a man-made island in the Saint Lawrence River. It has been a part of the Formula One calendar since its opening in 1978 and has hosted the likes of Lewis Hamilton , Max Verstappen and Michael Schumacher. MONTREAL - Max Verstappen knows he's at risk of a suspension. 'It's a street circuit, so the walls are quite close. You have to be very precise with the driving,' Paatz said, speaking hours after her pre-race walk-through. 'Everything happens really fast. It's quite a difficult track in my opinion, but I'm excited.' Paatz will be debuting a Gatorade-branded car and race suit to coincide with the drink company's announcement of a partnership with the F1 Academy that runs until 2030. The partnership, which is part of the brand's 'Fuel Tomorrow' initiative, is framed as a 'groundbreaking collaboration' intended to break down barriers in motorsport. The partnership allows Gatorade to 'bring our decades of sports science expertise directly to the next generation of elite drivers,' Umi Patel, Pepsico's vice president of marketing innovation and hydration brands Umi Patel said in a statement. 'By supporting young women at the start of their motorsport journey, we not just setting them up for success at such a pivotal part of their career, we are encouraging them to see what is in them and fuel their drive and ambition for success.' Paatz says that the course in Montreal is a technical and difficult one due to its tight, street-oriented structure. 'It's a great support driving here in F1 Academy,' Paatz said. 'Their support is very great and it's a great brand to work with. I'm very honoured.' Paatz won't be the youngest competitor in the race; she'll be racing against two other 16-year-olds, Australia's Joanne Ciconte and Denmark's Alba Larsen, who were born later than her. 'We've known each other for quite some time, when we made the first steps into single-seaters, so it's very nice to see them back on track,' she said. Her message to young women and girls interested in racing is simple: There are ample resources popping up to develop and nurture female drivers, and all it takes is a good attitude and a persistent work ethic. After all, she was once just a dreamer. 'When you look at me, I've also been just a little girl with a huge dream,' Paatz said. 'I want to make an idol for other girls by trying my best.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Gatorade® and F1 ACADEMY™ Launch Groundbreaking Partnership to Fuel the Future of Women's Racing
The 5.5-year collaboration will bring elite sports science, hydration expertise, and global visibility to the next generation of female F1 drivers. Gatorade® becomes the first-ever official sports drink partner of F1 ACADEMY™, marking a groundbreaking collaboration in women's motorsport. The partnership is part of Gatorade's Fuel Tomorrow initiative, aiming to provide 2.5 million teens with access to sports by 2030, now extending to supporting F1 ACADEMY's overarching mission of securing the next female driver on the Formula 1 grid. F1 ACADEMY drivers will benefit from Gatorade's elite sport science and hydration expertise, including personalised strategies and performance testing via the Gatorade Sport Science Institute. The collaboration kicks off with 16-year-old Wild Card driver Mathilda Paatz debuting the Gatorade-branded race car and suit at this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix. LONDON, June 12, 2025 /CNW/ -- Gatorade® has announced a landmark partnership with the F1 ACADEMY™ until 2030, becoming the first-ever official sports drink partner of F1 ACADEMY. This pioneering collaboration goes far beyond branding, leveraging Gatorade's world-class sports science and hydration expertise to fuel the next generation of elite female drivers. As one of the most physically and mentally demanding sports in the world, Formula 1 requires peak performance under extreme conditions, with hydration being one of the most important factors for athlete success. It is estimated that drivers can lose up to 4 kilograms of body weight through sweat during a single race1. Through the partnership, F1 ACADEMY drivers will gain access to the Gatorade Sport Science Institute's industry-leading expertise, including personalised hydration strategies, performance testing, and cutting-edge research to help them perform at their peak. This partnership is part of Gatorade's Fuel Tomorrow initiative, which aims to provide 2.5 million teens with access to sports by 2030. By supporting F1 ACADEMY, Gatorade is helping to break down barriers in motorsport and inspire young women around the world to pursue their potential. Commencing from the 2026 season, Gatorade will deliver a full-scale performance driven partnership with F1 ACADEMY, including: Driver and race car sponsorship – supporting a rising talent on the 2026 F1 ACADEMY grid with a bespoke livery and race suit to help amplify their talent on the global stage Bespoke hydration research – understanding the unique hydration needs of young female drivers Offering backed-by-science driver hydration and nutrition guidance – providing hydration solutions to optimise driver performance and recovery Umi Patel, PepsiCo's Vice President of Marketing Innovation and Hydration Brands, said: "Partnering with F1 ACADEMY is a powerful moment for Gatorade. Motorsport is one of the most physically demanding sports on the planet, where optimum hydration can be the difference between winning and losing. This partnership allows us to bring our decades of sports science expertise directly to the next generation of elite drivers. By supporting young women at the start of their motorsport journey, we're not just setting them up for success at such a pivotal part of their career, we are encouraging them to see what is in them and fuel their drive and ambition for success. That's what our Fuel Tomorrow initiative is all about." To celebrate the partnership, F1 ACADEMY Wild Card driver Mathilda Paatz will debut the Gatorade race car and suit at this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. The 16-year-old from Cologne, Germany, will drive the branded car around one of the most iconic tracks on the F1 calendar, marking the start of this landmark collaboration in front of F1's millions of fans across the globe. Wild Card driver, Mathilda Paatz said: "I'm beyond excited to have been selected as the Wild Card driver for Round 4 of F1 ACADEMY at the Canadian Grand Prix, driving the Gatorade race car. Growing up, I was captivated by the theatre of racing – the energy, the passion, and how drivers carried the pride of their teams. To now be racing on a Formula 1 weekend, with fans around the world watching, is a dream come true. I'm especially proud to partner with Gatorade, a brand that's championed athletes at every level and is helping pave the way for the next generation of women in motorsport." The announcement of this milestone partnership comes at a time of significant audience growth for F1 ACADEMY, with the highly anticipated documentary, F1: THE ACADEMY, now streaming globally on Netflix, in addition to broadcasts in over 170 territories. "We're proud to welcome Gatorade to the F1 ACADEMY family," said Susie Wolff, Managing Director of F1 ACADEMY. "What has impressed me most about Gatorade is how seriously they're investing in our drivers, not just as athletes, but as individuals with incredible potential. This isn't a surface-level sponsorship, it's a deeply hands-on partnership that brings world-class hydration science and performance expertise directly to our paddock. With the world-class expertise of Gatorade, not only will our drivers be better equipped to perform at their peak, but they'll also gain knowledge and tools that will serve them throughout their careers." This collaboration follows PepsiCo's recently announced multi-year worldwide official partnership with F1, running until 2030. More details of the brand partnership and how Gatorade will be working with the F1 ACADEMY drivers will be shared in the lead-up to the sponsorship's official commencement in the 2026 Formula 1 Season. "At PepsiCo, we believe in the power of platforms and partnerships to shape the future of sport – and to do so with purpose," said Jane Wakely, PepsiCo's Chief Consumer and Marketing Officer. "This historic global partnership with F1, one of the world's fastest growing sports, is a bold step forward in our mission to fuel fandom, create culture-driving moments and incredible brand experiences on a global scale." 1Source: ESPN About PepsiCo PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $91 billion in net revenue in 2023, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales. Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the centre of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit and follow on X (Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo. Photo - - - - - - View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Gatorade View original content to download multimedia: Sign in to access your portfolio
