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adidas announced a new multi-year partnership with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 team featuring drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.
A new race begins as adidas enters the world of motorsport as an official partner of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team. As one of the world’s fastest-growing sports, Formula One has a global audience that has amassed more than 1.55 billion views and continues to expand with a newly added Grand Prix in Las Vegas.
The Adidas x Mercedes partnership is all about speed and performance, represented by team drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. Russell made his F1 debut with Mercedes-AMG Petronas in 2019, while Antonelli officially kicks off his rookie season in 2025 at the Australian Grand Prix.
Adidas will create a complete range of apparel, footwear, and accessories for Russell, Antonelli, and the entire Mercedes-AMG Petronas team. This partnership extends the authentic paddock gear to F1 fans, as all Adidas x Mercedes-AMG Petronas apparel will be available to purchase starting with the 2025 season and beyond.
From sneaker drops to fast facts, everything you need to know about the new adidas Motorsport x Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 partnership is available below. Follow @NiceKicks on Instagram or more sneaker news and release dates.
The debut adidas x Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS collection offers 18 footwear options.
Consisting of 10 different silhouettes, adidas offers 18 footwear options, including the adidas SL 72 RS, Lightblaze, Feroza, Barreda Decoda, Acesmash Mid, Supernova Rise 2, Ultraboost 5X, Adilette Comfort Slide, and the Adi Racer High and Lo. The entire debut footwear collection features the Mercedes-AMG team colors, with shades of PETRONAS green, black, and white.
adidas relaunched its archived adi Racer sneaker for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas debut collection.
First introduced in the early 2000s, the Adi Racer was a motorsport-inspired sneaker made in collaboration with tire manufacturer Goodyear. At the time, the adi Racer Lo was known as the adidas Tuscany, while the adi Racer High was called the adidas Monaco. Both silhouettes featured Goodyear rubber soles and displayed Goodyear branding on the sidewalls. The adi Racer returns without Goodyear branding, instead featuring the adidas Trefoil logo along with a Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Velcro lace strap.
The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS partnership introduces a new sneaker silhouette — the adidas Feroza.
“The ambition was to bring race boots to the streets,” said adidas Motorsport product creation lead Bianca Mast, describing the all-new adidas Feroza. This sneaker reimagines the archival adi Racer as a sleek lifestyle shoe that blends the design language of sports cars with adidas’ signature low-profile silhouettes. The adidas Feroza is stamped with “Motorsport” linework on the lateral side, which is also embossed onto the sneaker’s extended outsole.
adidas Motorsport equipped the driver jerseys with intentional design elements that highlight the “DNA” of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS team.
As part of the debut “DNA” collection, the driver jerseys are woven with the philosophy of adidas and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 team. Each kit features a hexagon pattern, representing efficiency, connection, and stability. The team colors and signature PETRONAS green are visible around the collar and are also hidden beneath the three stripes on the shoulders, symbolizing the unity between adidas and Mercedes. Each kit is finished with a reflective patch as a mark of authenticity.
adidas will outfit the entire Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 team, including the mechanics and engineers.
Podium-placing drivers are nothing without their paddock crews, made up of expert mechanics and engineers. These demanding roles require fast, flawless execution, with some pit stops completed in less than two seconds. Recognizing the physical demands, adidas and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS team created products that prioritize performance when working on machinery.
The collection incorporates flexible nylon stretch fabric for optimal airflow and quick drying. The kits are equipped with vents and collar inserts to prevent the jerseys from sticking to the back of the neck. Additional design features include a tailored fit to enhance mobility and reflective details for high visibility on the track.
The “Solar Green” Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS jersey was designed for the paddock setup crew.
Getting the paddock Grand Prix-ready requires careful transport, construction, and dismantling by a specialized crew. The “Solar Green” jersey was created with these behind-the-scenes experts in mind, providing comfort and visibility.
The adidas x Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS jersey features AEROREADY technology to cool drivers in the F1 cockpit, where temperatures can reach up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
Formula One cockpits become blistering ovens as the engine radiates intense heat right behind the driver. The car’s aerodynamic design funnels heat directly into the cockpit, and drivers must endure extreme temperatures due to minimal airflow inside the car. To address this, adidas used lightweight fabric with AEROREADY technology to support the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS team, not only as drivers but as performance athletes. With the drivers’ temperature-sensitive jerseys, they get some relief from the extreme heat and can stay calm under pressure.
The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 team has recorded 120 wins, 281 podium finishes, 133 pole positions, 100 fastest laps, and 55 one-two finishes from 305 race starts.
Since returning as a constructor in 2010, the Mercedes-AMG works team has competed in the FIA Formula One World Championship, which spans 24 races across five continents. The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS team is one of the most successful in motorsports history, winning seven consecutive double drivers’ and constructors’ world championships from 2014 to 2020 and securing a record-breaking eighth consecutive constructors’ championship in 2021.
The advanced technology of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 performance cars requires a team of more than 2,000 people.
Based across technology centers in Brackley and Brixworth in the United Kingdom, the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 team brings together over 2,000 experts who design, develop, manufacture, and race the cars that aim to win the world championship each year. adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden acknowledged the extensive and industrious crew behind Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS, saying, “F1 is the biggest team sport you can do. It looks like an individual sport, but if you look at the chain — the logistics and the organization and the communication — we can learn a lot from these guys.”
George Russell has been with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 team since 2022.
After making his F1 debut with Williams in 2019, Russell joined Mercedes for 2022 and earned his first pole position at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Over the first 20 races of the season, he secured seven podium finishes before claiming his first F1 victory at the São Paulo Grand Prix. Despite a challenging season, Russell led Mercedes to a 1-2 finish, ending the year on a high note.
The adidas x Mercedes- AMG Partnership launches ahead of Kimi Antonelli’s rookie season.
The adidas x Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS collection launched just in time for Antonelli’s rookie season. As he gears up for an electrifying debut, adidas Motorsport ensures he’s equipped with cutting-edge performance gear designed for speed and precision. From fireproof race suits engineered for maximum comfort to ultra-lightweight gloves and boots that enhance grip and control, every detail is crafted to give Antonelli an edge on the track. With adidas Motorsport backing his debut, the young sensation is ready to take on the grid with style and performance-driven innovation.
Kimi Antonelli will be the third-youngest driver to start an F1 Grand Prix.
Antonelli’s rookie season kicks off with the Australian Grand Prix, making him the third-youngest driver to start an F1 race at just 18 years, six months, and 20-days-old. He joined the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS junior program in 2018 at just 12-years-old and has quickly moved up the ranks since then.
Kimi Antonelli earned his Super F1 license before completing his official driver’s test.
Before F1 drivers can compete, they must obtain a Super License to ensure they have the experience to handle the high-risk technicalities of an F1 car — which Antonelli achieved before receiving his official Italian driver’s license. In the past, this wouldn’t have been allowed, as F1 drivers were required to hold a valid driver’s license to qualify for a Super License. However, regulations were altered last year to allow Antonelli to participate in F1 practice sessions ahead of his 18th birthday in August 2024. As of January 2025, Antonelli is officially licensed to drive — just six weeks before his F1 debut.
Valterri Bottas is the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS reserve driver.
Every Formula One team has a reserve driver who steps in to compete if one of the main drivers is unable to race. Finnish racer Valtteri Bottas is the reserve driver for the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS team and will drive if Russell or Antonelli are unable race.
Bottas made his F1 debut in 2013 and was a full-time driver for Mercedes in 2017. He won multiple races and regularly finished on the podium as he represented Mercedes alongside Lewis Hamilton.
Toto Wolff is the CEO and team principal of Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS.
Former racing driver turned billionaire businessman, Toto Wolff has played a key role in transforming Mercedes into a dominant force in Formula One, leading the team to multiple constructors’ and drivers’ championships since taking over in 2013.
The adidas x Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS partnership came together in just 90 seconds.
OK, not exactly 90 seconds, but Toto Wolff says the decision to partner with adidas was so easy that it only took 90 seconds to make it happen.
“We are excited to break new ground and work with adidas as we collectively strive to fight for world championships,” said Wolff, CEO of Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS.
adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden echoed Wolff’s sentiments, acknowledging the shared values of adidas and Mercedes. “This comes at absolutely the right time for us as a brand, and also for Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, who are also looking for newness and freshness. You will be surprised by some of the things you see, because they haven’t been done before.”
“When you look at the collection, it’s something to be really proud of,” Wolff said. “This is the first iteration of it – our first year, and it’s already brilliant. You can imagine how it’s going to evolve.”
The adidas x Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS partnership came together so quickly that the adidas design team had just 12 months to develop and produce the entire debut collection.
Everything in Formula One is fast, but the adidas design team had to work even quicker than usual, with only 12 months to conceptualize, develop, and produce the debut adidas x Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS collection.
“The timely aspect of having to bring everything to life was challenging,” said adidas Motorsport Product Creation Lead Bianca Mast. “We operated on a much shorter calendar than we usually do, but our ambition was to deliver on time and in full.”
The adidas Motorsport team was able to meet the demands of the quick turnaround, delivering a fully loaded debut collection that includes three apparel capsules and 18 different footwear options made for the entire paddock and the global F1 fanbase.
The debut adidas x Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS collection includes a “Premium Sweat” capsule.
In addition to the “DNA” debut collection, adidas created a “Premium Sweat” Mercedes capsule that offers contemporary styles crafted from high-quality, all-cotton French terry fabric. The comfort line features a minimalist color palette of beige and white with understated team branding for an elevated look.
adidas Motorsport has upcoming Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS collections inspired by global F1 Grand Prix cities.
From Miami to Monaco, F1 takes place in some of the most fashion-forward cities in the world. adidas found this exhilarating and decided to create city-inspired capsule collections that will be released ahead of select Grand Prix races. Be sure to follow adidas Motorsport for drop updates.
The debut adidas Motorsport x Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS collection is available now via the adidas website. For more sneaker news and release dates, follow @NiceKicks on Instagram.
