Adidas needed help with new Mercedes overalls

Feb.7 (GMM) Adidas has admitted it needed specialist help to dive into the world of Formula 1 race wear.

Mercedes’ brand new major sponsor, the iconic German multinational sports brand, is also brand new to Formula 1.

In a statement, Adidas boasted about the “race day wear” it will supply to George Russell and Kimi Antonelli in 2025, featuring “sport-first, performance cuts”.

However, Michael Bach – global vice president of Adidas Motorsport – admitted at the presentation of the new gear on Thursday that it needed help with the new overalls featuring the iconic three stripes.

“We have a history of working with shoes and kits, but we have never partnered with a Formula 1 team like this,” he told Soy Motor.

“It is a very specific sector because you don’t just design the team’s clothing, but also the racing clothing.”

To produce the new ‘Adidas’ F1 race overalls for Mercedes, Bach admitted the brand needed the support of established race equipment supplier OMP.

“We have partnered with a suit supplier because we have had very little time and the homologation process takes months or even years,” he said.

“We want to start working with a great suit and for this we have a great supplier. “We are going to work with them on important points such as breathability, obviously in safety, but also in movements and materials.

“It is something very specific and you need a lot of knowledge,” Bach explained.

Nonetheless, he insisted it is the “right time” for Adidas to get into Formula 1 because of its surging popularity and more diverse audience.

“It’s attractive how everything has changed – it’s becoming a bit of pop culture, and that’s what we understand. Sport and culture.

“The management in Formula 1 are doing something right, because as a brand we have been attracted. We want to become a reputable brand in the world of motorsport.”

Teenage rookie Antonelli, meanwhile, admitted he is very happy to be wearing Adidas this year rather than the Puma and Tommy Hilfiger of 2024.

“It’s a big improvement on the things we’ve had in recent years,” the young Italian told Bild newspaper.

“I have already replaced my entire wardrobe. My mother is completely desperate because she doesn’t know where she will find space for all the new things.”