Elite motor racing series Formula 1 (F1) has struck a new commercial deal with soft drinks and snack foods giant PepsiCo, while also extending a tie-up with cruise operator MSC Cruises.
The PepsiCo agreement entails the beverage and snacks giant becoming an official F1 partner until 2030, while the MSC Cruises' renewal, announced ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix (May 25), sees the brand continuing as an F1 global partner, also through 2030.
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PepsiCo brands that will receive exposure through this deal include Sting Energy (official energy drink), Gatorade (official partner of the F1 Sprint), and Doritos (official savory snack partner).
The deal will cover “the creation of meaningful fan engagement,” such as a range of digital experiences and fan content, while there will also be a brand presence across F1 fan zones, as well as rights covering co-branded products.
As well as the main F1 series, the PepsiCo deal also covers the subsidiary, all-female, F1 Academy competition.
From 2026, meanwhile, the wider PepsiCo brand range will “become deeply integrated into the F1 ecosystem,” through pouring and supply rights at every single Grand Prix.
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By GlobalDataNew York-based PepsiCo will also create F1-themed packaging and customer promotions through the deal.
Stefano Domenicali, Formula 1’s president and chief executive, has commented: “PepsiCo will tap into the unique potential of Formula 1 as a global platform to connect with new audiences and we will benefit from their energy, their extraordinary products and their loyal community.”
Meanwhile, the extension with MSC Cruises comes as an early renewal of a deal that first came into effect for the 2022 campaign. The current tie-up between the two parties has been valued by GlobalData Sport at $35 million annually through 2026.
During the ongoing 2025 season, the brand is title-sponsoring three races – Austria (late June), the US (mid-October), and Brazil (early November).
Last season, the cruise operator did the same for the races in Japan, Belgium, and Emilia-Romagna in Northern Italy.
The new deal will see the continuation of these rights, alongside trackside branding and hospitality activation packages.
In addition, the MSC Cruises sister brand, Explora Journeys, will have its signage featured at select races – that brand also received exposure at the Monaco Grand Prix, when its Explora II ship acted as a hotel for race guests in Monaco’s iconic harbor.
Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chair of The MSC Cruise Division, has said: “We are proud to announce that we are extending our agreement as a global partner of Formula 1 until the end of the 2030 season meaning that fans can experience more from MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys on track and beyond for many more seasons to come.”
In terms of these firms’ other sports sponsorships, April saw PepsiCo and European soccer’s governing body UEFA extend their tie-up, while MSC Cruises is also a partner of English soccer heavyweights Chelsea.
Other F1 global partners, meanwhile, include Aramco, DHL, Heineken, LVMH, Qatar Airways, and Salesforce.
Elsewhere in F1, Thailand is now planning on bidding to host its first-ever Grand Prix in 2028, a government official has confirmed.
The event would be a street race in the capital city of Bangkok, with approval from the country’s government cabinet to be sought in the coming weeks, according to a government spokesperson.
The country’s prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, attended the Monaco Grand Prix and is reported to have held talks about the potential hosting of an F1 race in Thailand with the F1 hierarchy.
Government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub has said that a bid proposal – and the results of a feasibility study – will be sent to the Thai cabinet on June 4.
Thailand has never hosted F1 action before, although it does have experience of hosting international motorsport through staging a race from motorcycling’s MotoGP World Championships at the Buriram circuit (which also has accreditation from F1’s governing body, the FIA).
Currently, the Singapore Grand Prix is the nearest F1 race to Thailand, with the 2025 schedule – 24 races in total – also including stops in China, Japan, and Australia. There are four Asia-Pacific races in total.
In terms of potential new F1 race locations, Domenicali said over the weekend that discussions over an African event are progressing with a trio of venues, but that a short-term outcome is unlikely.
The last Grand Prix in Africa took place at Kyalami in South Africa in 1993, and that continent is the notable exception in terms of F1’s worldwide presence.
Speaking to the media in Monaco, Domenicacli said: “We are progressing our discussion with, I would say, three places in Africa. Realistically speaking, I don't think we're going to have an outcome in the very short term.
“We are missing one continent, and we want to connect also to that. It’s a matter of finding the right plan, and hopefully, we are going to update you soon on that project.”
Rwanda (which put a bid forward late last year) and South Africa are the two most likely candidates, with multiple venues in the latter country having been put forward as potential options.
