The GIST: Today, F1 Academy — the racing league’s circuit for women drivers — named Sephora as its official beauty retail partner. The global beauty store is the latest in the space to flag racing as a place to connect with women fans, as many are being drawn to the sport.
As women fandom in racing grows, and as opportunities increase for women drivers, Sephora is one of many brands thinking about how to bridge the gap and bring women F1 fans who support the men’s league to its women’s equivalent. Revved up.
The details: The deal brings Sephora products to fans at select F1 Academy races with activations such as glam bars, which will be held in the F1’s hospitality suite. Additionally, Sephora is hosting a new event celebrating drivers at the end of the season, and is adding a branded livery to rookie driver Natalia Granada’s car.
The history: Sephora went big on its sports strategy in 2025, starting with its Unrivaled partnership and Toronto Tempo deal last January. In April, Sephora became a founding Golden State Valkyries sponsor before its inaugural tipoff, which extended to include the NBA’s Warriors in November. And last July, Sephora teamed up with AUSL — a smart move in a league with plenty of white space.
The context: Sephora isn’t the first beauty brand to enter the chat: E.l.f. made waves when it sponsored NASCAR driver Katherine Legge last April, which it doubled down on a month later. And industry leaders like Wella and Charlotte Tilbury have also flocked to F1 Academy.
The growth in women F1 fandom is promising: They account for 3 of 4 new fans in an F1–commissioned study, where nearly half of respondents were Gen Z women. And converting them to F1 Academy fans has been fairly successful, as 42% of women F1 fans watch the women’s racing series, too.
Zooming out: The data indicates that F1’s surge of women fans — largely driven by mainstream exposure thanks to shows like Drive To Survive — coincides with the generation’s focus on gender equity in sport. F1’s recent deal with Apple reflects growing interest in the U.S., and F1 Academy is still fairly new, meaning there’s plenty of opportunity for brands to get high, concentrated exposure.
And F1’s global prestige offers sponsors distinct brand recognition and loyalty. With so many women F1 fans already naturally gravitating toward F1 Academy, it makes sense that burgeoning sports sponsor Sephora wants to meet them there. Beautiful.
