December 4, 2025 • 6 mins
Toto Wolff, CEO of Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1, and Eugene Willemsen, CEO of International Beverages at PepsiCo, join Bloomberg for a joint interview to discuss their new commercial partnership, which links Formula 1 with PepsiCo and opens fresh opportunities for marketing and sponsorship.
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Mercedes f One and PepsiCo are teaming up to capitalize
on the sports increasingly young audience and their shifting consumption habits.
The companies say the partnership is designed to capture the
next decade of growth across emerging markets for more. We
are joined now by the Mercedes f One CEO Toto
Wolf and PepsiCo CEO of International Beverages, Eugene Williamson. Thank
(00:28):
you both for joining us. Can I come to you first, Toto?
I know you're probably very excited about what lies ahead
at the weekend and the actual racing, but thinking about
this deal with PepsiCo, I mean, what is it that
you can offer to a business such as PepsiCo in
terms of the people you're reaching, the ability of your
brand to spread their message good morning.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
First of all, it's important, Faust, to have an alignment
with the brands and that we partner. And you mentioned
your audiences. Our strongest growing since a very young people
females between fifteen and twenty four, and our female fan
population is forty two percent of the total. Our young
(01:11):
drivers have lots of social media activity, contrary to the
past we have great spot and entertainment on the track
and obviously some of the Drive to Survive episodes audiences
as well.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
EU gee, let me come to you. I just picking
up on what Toto is talking about that Formula one
has changed kind of beyond recognition over the last few years.
New ownership, new kind of narrative, Drive to Survive has
had a massive impact. The demos changed quite significantly, the
US fan base has changed quite significantly. Why have you
waited so long to get involved? And why is now
(01:50):
the right time to get involved?
Speaker 4 (01:54):
Formula One is a fantastic platform globally, is growing rapidly
one point six billion across the world, races in twenty
one countries, twenty four races across the world, and we
feel now is the right time for us to come
into the sport. So we signed up with Formula one
earlier this year, and then this week we're announcing an
amazing partnership with Mercedes MG Paterrono's Formula One team, Toto
(02:17):
and his team, and very much looking forward to tap
into this growing fan base across the world and really
leverage death fan base also with three of our brands,
gatorad Sting and Doritos, three brands with distinctive audiences, and yeah,
looking forward to an amazing couple of years in this partnership.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Can I ask you then a bit more about that, Ugiene?
I mean, how does this help you secure demand from
a new group of customers? I mean what kind of
customers does this put you in front of that you
wouldn't have found anyway?
Speaker 4 (02:53):
Yeah, So I think there's a couple of ways to
look at this. So first of all, as I said,
Formula one is a truly global platform. So for us,
we have an opportunity to expand some of these brands
across the world, especially in developing an emerging market where
Formula one already has a lot of races, but also
where the fan base is growing and growing rapidly. Also,
(03:13):
Formula one now is stepping into gen Z, so your audience,
it is also an audience that is almost fifty to
fifty split between male and female consumers. So for us,
a unique opportunity to expand the penetration for all these
three brands. And then specifically with a Gatorade, which is
going to be the phase of our partnership with the
(03:34):
Mercedes AMG Patronos team. As a unique opportunity to help
fuel the drivers and help them perform at their peak.
As you know, drivers lose a lot of body weight
during the races. Gatorade has sixty years of sports science
started at the University of Florida, fueling the Gators and
(03:55):
the football team in the US, and now we're looking
forward also to bring that sports science to the world
of Formula one, working with the team and helping them
perform at their peak.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
So let me come back to you. The situation around
Formula one is kind of beyond recognition as to where
it was even just a few years ago. The sport
has changed massively. You've recently sold a steak in your
part of the team, fifteen percent stake in your holding
five percent stake of the team. Effectively, can I ask
(04:29):
kind of whether or not you think that there is
further sales to come, whether or not you think some
of your partners are going to be selling down as well.
People looking now to crystallize the value that has been
created over the last few years in this huge transformation
that has taken place around some of these F one teams.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
I think you need to split the question into Formula
one continues to grow very strong. We have all races
are sold out. When you consider Austin last year was
the single largest event in the United States with four
hundred and forty thousand people, so it is growing. A
good situation in terms of let's say our business side
(05:11):
is that the contracts that we sign its sponsorship or
promotion with race, trikes or till money, they are very predictable.
They are between three and ten years now. So that's
why let's say in the midterm, with good visibility, how
the spot develops. But then you also need to stay
humber and you need to look at things that function
and other things that don't. The sport needs evolution or revolution,
(05:35):
and we need to handle it with great care. But Stephano,
Domnicali and Liberty do just that. When it comes to,
you know, monetization, my background is managed capital, but I
don't see the team as this. This is our family
holding with three shareholders, with Mercedes Emails and myself. But
George Kurtz, the founder of CrowdStrike, is somebody that we've
(05:58):
known since a long time. His company has been a
partner since a long time. He's a racer and he's
going to leverage our network in the United States, and
this is why we've partnered up in my investment holding,
and I believe on the business side will help us
to grow further.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
So, so just give me a name. Who's going to
win the weekend? This is an amazing end of the season.
Who's going to win?
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Well, I hope that Georgia Kimmy win the race, and
beyond that I would be just like a fan and
getting my popcorn out and watching what happens to the
other three guys.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Okay, the other three guys, it's going to be. It's
going to be quite the weekend. Okay, guys, thank you
very much. Indeed, Toto wolf Usine Williamson great to get
that story.
Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Mercedes f One and PepsiCo are teaming up to capitalize
on the sports increasingly young audience and their shifting consumption habits.
The companies say the partnership is designed to capture the
next decade of growth across emerging markets for more. We
are joined now by the Mercedes f One CEO Toto
Wolf and PepsiCo CEO of International Beverages, Eugene Williamson. Thank
(00:28):
you both for joining us. Can I come to you first, Toto?
I know you're probably very excited about what lies ahead
at the weekend and the actual racing, but thinking about
this deal with PepsiCo, I mean, what is it that
you can offer to a business such as PepsiCo in
terms of the people you're reaching, the ability of your
brand to spread their message good morning.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
First of all, it's important, Faust, to have an alignment
with the brands and that we partner. And you mentioned
your audiences. Our strongest growing since a very young people
females between fifteen and twenty four, and our female fan
population is forty two percent of the total. Our young
(01:11):
drivers have lots of social media activity, contrary to the
past we have great spot and entertainment on the track
and obviously some of the Drive to Survive episodes audiences
as well.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
EU gee, let me come to you. I just picking
up on what Toto is talking about that Formula one
has changed kind of beyond recognition over the last few years.
New ownership, new kind of narrative, Drive to Survive has
had a massive impact. The demos changed quite significantly, the
US fan base has changed quite significantly. Why have you
waited so long to get involved? And why is now
(01:50):
the right time to get involved?
Speaker 4 (01:54):
Formula One is a fantastic platform globally, is growing rapidly
one point six billion across the world, races in twenty
one countries, twenty four races across the world, and we
feel now is the right time for us to come
into the sport. So we signed up with Formula one
earlier this year, and then this week we're announcing an
amazing partnership with Mercedes MG Paterrono's Formula One team, Toto
(02:17):
and his team, and very much looking forward to tap
into this growing fan base across the world and really
leverage death fan base also with three of our brands,
gatorad Sting and Doritos, three brands with distinctive audiences, and yeah,
looking forward to an amazing couple of years in this partnership.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Can I ask you then a bit more about that, Ugiene?
I mean, how does this help you secure demand from
a new group of customers? I mean what kind of
customers does this put you in front of that you
wouldn't have found anyway?
Speaker 4 (02:53):
Yeah, So I think there's a couple of ways to
look at this. So first of all, as I said,
Formula one is a truly global platform. So for us,
we have an opportunity to expand some of these brands
across the world, especially in developing an emerging market where
Formula one already has a lot of races, but also
where the fan base is growing and growing rapidly. Also,
(03:13):
Formula one now is stepping into gen Z, so your audience,
it is also an audience that is almost fifty to
fifty split between male and female consumers. So for us,
a unique opportunity to expand the penetration for all these
three brands. And then specifically with a Gatorade, which is
going to be the phase of our partnership with the
(03:34):
Mercedes AMG Patronos team. As a unique opportunity to help
fuel the drivers and help them perform at their peak.
As you know, drivers lose a lot of body weight
during the races. Gatorade has sixty years of sports science
started at the University of Florida, fueling the Gators and
(03:55):
the football team in the US, and now we're looking
forward also to bring that sports science to the world
of Formula one, working with the team and helping them
perform at their peak.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
So let me come back to you. The situation around
Formula one is kind of beyond recognition as to where
it was even just a few years ago. The sport
has changed massively. You've recently sold a steak in your
part of the team, fifteen percent stake in your holding
five percent stake of the team. Effectively, can I ask
(04:29):
kind of whether or not you think that there is
further sales to come, whether or not you think some
of your partners are going to be selling down as well.
People looking now to crystallize the value that has been
created over the last few years in this huge transformation
that has taken place around some of these F one teams.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
I think you need to split the question into Formula
one continues to grow very strong. We have all races
are sold out. When you consider Austin last year was
the single largest event in the United States with four
hundred and forty thousand people, so it is growing. A
good situation in terms of let's say our business side
(05:11):
is that the contracts that we sign its sponsorship or
promotion with race, trikes or till money, they are very predictable.
They are between three and ten years now. So that's
why let's say in the midterm, with good visibility, how
the spot develops. But then you also need to stay
humber and you need to look at things that function
and other things that don't. The sport needs evolution or revolution,
(05:35):
and we need to handle it with great care. But Stephano,
Domnicali and Liberty do just that. When it comes to,
you know, monetization, my background is managed capital, but I
don't see the team as this. This is our family
holding with three shareholders, with Mercedes Emails and myself. But
George Kurtz, the founder of CrowdStrike, is somebody that we've
(05:58):
known since a long time. His company has been a
partner since a long time. He's a racer and he's
going to leverage our network in the United States, and
this is why we've partnered up in my investment holding,
and I believe on the business side will help us
to grow further.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
So, so just give me a name. Who's going to
win the weekend? This is an amazing end of the season.
Who's going to win?
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Well, I hope that Georgia Kimmy win the race, and
beyond that I would be just like a fan and
getting my popcorn out and watching what happens to the
other three guys.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Okay, the other three guys, it's going to be. It's
going to be quite the weekend. Okay, guys, thank you
very much. Indeed, Toto wolf Usine Williamson great to get
that story.
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