Aston Martin becomes first F1 team to formally partner with Padeltek, launching a new padel racket collection ahead of the 2026 United States Grand Prix

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

Ahead of the 2026 United States Grand Prix, Aston Martin announced a new partnership with racket sports brand Padeltek, positioning the team as the first Formula 1 outfit to formally partner with a company specialising in padel and pickleball. The collaboration was unveiled with a product launch that includes three padel rackets and accompanying cover bags, with pickleball equipment planned to follow in 2027.

The team presented the collection as more than a branding exercise. Aston Martin’s Head of Licensing and Merchandise, Matt Chapman, said the project began with authenticity as a priority, adding that the goal was for the equipment to reflect Aston Martin identity while also meeting the technical demands of playing padel. Chapman described working with Padeltek’s equipment expertise and combining it with Aston Martin’s own design input to balance “design, functionality and performance.”

Aston Martin’s Chief Marketing Officer, Rob Bloom, linked padel’s appeal within the paddock to parallels with Formula 1. Bloom said the crossover is particularly strong when considering a competitive mindset and the need for quick thinking, precision and reaction times. He also described padel as a way to bring people together away from the intensity of a race weekend, offering an environment where drivers, team members and fans can connect through a shared activity.

Padel, which combines elements of tennis and squash, is typically played in doubles on an enclosed court surrounded by glass walls and fencing. The sport uses a scoring system similar to tennis, but players serve underarm, use solid rackets, and can continue rallies after the ball rebounds off the surrounding walls. Those conditions, which reward fast reactions and coordinated play, are part of what makes padel a natural fit for the competitive habits many drivers recognise from racing.

In discussing why padel has gained momentum, Mike Dale, editor of The Padel Paper, pointed to the sport’s accessibility for athletes with different levels of experience. Dale said padel is relatively easy to become good at quickly, especially for players with an athletic base and hand-eye coordination, and that the feeling of improving fast is “very addictive.” He also argued that the sport’s social and club culture has attracted interest from sportspeople drawn to a high-end, welcoming setting.

The announcement also arrives amid well-known padel interest among F1 figures. The source highlights Fernando Alonso and George Russell teaming up on court, and notes that Pierre Gasly has invested in a padel team, 10Padel, which competes in the Hexagon Cup. The story also references driver participation as a lifestyle activity, naming Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc among those who enjoy padel matches away from the track.

Aston Martin reinforced its launch with an in-person event in Austin, where Jenson Button, Jessica Hawkins, Jak Crawford and Pedro de la Rosa took to the court. The gathering underscored the team’s message that padel can create a connection beyond motorsport, using a shared hobby to engage with broader communities.

Looking ahead, Aston Martin framed the partnership as a way to meet fans on their terms, not only in the traditional motorsport setting. Bloom said collaborations such as this allow supporters to engage with the team through something they already enjoy, extending that relationship beyond the racetrack. With competitive and social padel already woven into paddock culture, the team’s new equipment line suggests Aston Martin intends to deepen that link—starting with padel rackets now and expanding into pickleball gear in 2027.