The Mercedes Formula 1 team is set to switch team clothing partner next year as it moves to Adidas, Motorsport.com has learned.
The deal comes as the German sportswear brand looks for a high-profile replacement for the loss of its iconic sponsorship rights to the German national football team – with Nike taking its place from 2027.
Just a fortnight ago, Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden spoke positively about F1 and said he was in discussions with a number of teams about potential deals.
In the interview with Bild, Gulden said that F1 was a “sport that has strong growth – also among the younger generation.”
He added: “We are talking to several teams. Most Formula 1 contracts run until 2026, so I hope we can come to a conclusion.”
Now, following a report that has appeared in the same German newspaper saying an Adidas/Mercedes deal is done, sources have confirmed to Motorsport.com that everything is now lined up.
However, there has not yet been any official announcement about the deal being completed, and Mercedes has declined to comment about the matter when contacted.
Discussions between Mercedes and Adidas certainly appear to be at a very advanced stage though, with sources even suggesting that mocked-up team shirts for next year were spotted at last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix as part of the evaluation process ahead of next year.
George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, in the post Qualifying Press Conference
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
The shirts featured the famous Adidas three stripes on the shoulders to highlight the brand’s involvement.
A move to Adidas will bring an end to Mercedes’ current team wear sponsorship deal with Puma, which was a deal that was ironically put together by Gulden when he was CEO of the rival brand.
The future of other Mercedes clothing partner Tommy Hilfiger remains unclear. That deal had heavily revolved around Lewis Hamilton, who is leaving the German manufacturer at the end of 2025 to move to Ferrari.
One certainty though is that if Tommy Hilfiger does not stay at Mercedes, it will not be following Hamilton to Maranello.
Speaking to Motorsport.com’s sister site Motorsport-Total.com, Hamilton said recently: “To be honest, I don’t know what the team is planning. But Ferrari has its own things going on. That’s why they won’t be coming to Ferrari with us.”
