The motorsport has had some curious partnerships over the course of its history. Here are the weirdest Formula 1 collabs.
The 2026 Formula Season is just around the corner with the Australian Grand Prix kicking off on 8 March. Right now, most teams are in Bahrain testing out the new cars while fans are waiting with bated breath for the motorsport to once again return to their screens. While everyone gears up with excitement for the 2026 season, let’s take a trip down memory lane at some of the interesting partnerships the teams and the sport itself had with other brands. From their recent partnership with a popular chocolate bar to a driver’s collab with an iconic pop group, these are some of the most memorable—and weirdest—collabs in Formula 1.
[Hero image: F1; Featured image: Kit Kat]
Formula 1 collabs that are memorable, delightful, and weird
KitKat
KitKat has been named the official chocolate bar of Formula 1 so we’re bound to see them around a lot this season. They’ve got a lot of plans, like mysterious “F1 fun” zones they’ll roll out in certain airports around the world as well as a giveaway to the São Paulo Grand Prix. But perhaps the most exciting result of this partnership is the new chocolate F1 car, a KitKat bar shaped like a Formula 1 car. Since most of us won’t be able to afford to watch an actual race, at least we can zoom an F1 car-shaped chocolate around.
Hello Kitty
The Hello Kitty collab with the F1 Academy was on full display during the Las Vegas Grand Prix last season. The partnership put Hello Kitty (who apparently is not a cat) and friends in the paddock and on the track as pit crew and drivers. Merch including shirts, plush, headwear, and other accessories were available, which was a curious yet adorable blend of the cute cartoon character and the high-speed motorsport.
Peanuts
This is yet another adorable cartoon collab that doesn’t really make sense but is cute nonetheless. The F1 x Peanuts collection contained beanies, jackets, and sweatshirts that saw Snoopy speeding on his own car. There’s even a cap that’s reminiscent of the Pirelli podium caps except it shows Snoopy on the podium while also sporting the gold laurels. Much like Hello Kitty, this collection was available at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, though this one was back in 2024.
Video game sponsors
In a day and age where Fortnite collabs with everyone, video game companies sponsoring Formula 1 teams aren’t that surprising. But much like the battle royale, the collabs are so weird and unlikely that it’s a bit of a shock. For example, Atlassian Williams is sponsored by the Japanese game development company PONOS. You’d think they develop racing sims or something, but PONOS’ most popular game is The Battle Cats. Meanwhile, MacLaren is sponsored by Garena. Yes, that Garena, the very same developer responsible for Free Fire.
Perhaps the weirdest—and most fun—collab was when driver Heikki Kovalainen partnered with Rovio Entertainment. It made sense: Heikki was Finnish and Rovio Entertainment was a Finnish company. If you don’t know Rovio, you definitely know their game: Angry Birds. The result was a custom Angry Birds helmet that Heikki wore in a race.
Durex
A condom sponsoring a team today would barely cause anyone to clutch their pearls, but back in 1976, it was quite controversial. The F1 team Surtees decided to partner with Durex meaning their livery would predominantly feature the brand on their car. The BBC thought that a having a car with a condom brand emblazoned on it was “totally unacceptable for family viewing”. As a result, they didn’t air the entire season. Well, almost. The BBC eventually reconsidered their position after British driver James Hunt was going toe-to-toe against Nikki Lauda for the championship.
ABBA
Yes, you read that right: the Swedish pop group ABBA once sponsored a driver. Slim Borgudd was a Swedish F1 driver for ATS and later for Tyrrell in 1981 and 1982 respectively. His time in F1 was short: he only competed for two seasons but continued racing in other disciplines.
But before he was a competitive racer, he was one of Sweden’s best drummers, performing with the Lea Riders Group, Made in Sweden, and the Hootenanny Singers, the latter of which included Björn Ulvaeus, who would later found ABBA. Slim would serve as ABBA’s session drummer for a while. When he finally made the switch to driving competitively, the pop group graciously allowed him to put their name on the livery of his car to increase his prestige, and it worked.
Binladen
Okay, calm down. First of all, yes, this is true. Second of all, it doesn’t involve the terrorist… well, sort of. Years ago before 9/11, the name Binladen was well-known as one of the biggest companies in the Middle East. It made sense then that the company would form partnerships, including their sponsorship of Williams in the 80s. The team’s livery featured the name of the company much to the amusement of the internet today. What is the company’s relation to the late terrorist? The company was founded by his father and is still in operation today under a new name, Saudi Binaldin Group.
Note : The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
