Mickey Mouse Heads to the Track in New Formula 1 and Disney Global Partnership

29 days ago in "The Walt Disney Company"

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Mickey and Friends Team Up with Formula 1 in Global Collaboration Starting 2026

Posted: Tuesday May 20, 2025 8:15pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Disney and Formula 1 have announced a new global collaboration that will bring Mickey Mouse and Friends into the fast-paced world of Formula 1 beginning in 2026. The partnership will include themed experiences, original content, and branded merchandise available worldwide.

Mickey and Friends Team Up with Formula 1 in Global Collaboration Starting 2026

Tasia Filippatos, President of Disney Consumer Products, called the partnership an opportunity to connect with fans in new ways. “Our collaboration with Formula 1 offers a unique opportunity to bring two powerhouse entertainment properties together to create products that fans will love,” Filippatos said. “This exciting collaboration will unfold across a global stage, with unforgettable content and experiences tailored for Disney and F1 fans alike.”

Mickey and Friends Team Up with Formula 1 in Global Collaboration Starting 2026

Formula 1’s Chief Commercial Officer, Emily Prazer, said the partnership fits into F1’s broader strategy of reaching new audiences. “It fits perfectly with our strategy to step outside the world of sport and into a broader consumer market, and in return we’re introducing Disney to our 820 million fans worldwide,” she said. “Both brands are known for pushing boundaries and bringing entertainment and excitement to millions.”

The announcement comes as Formula 1 continues to grow its global following, especially among younger fans. Data shows over 4 million children aged 8–12 actively follow the sport in the U.S. and EU, and more than half of F1’s TikTok audience is under 25.

More details about the Disney x Formula 1 collaboration, including how fans can take part, will be announced in the coming months.

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Jambo Dad19 days ago

Seems like a natural for a reimagined Tomorrowland speedway too.

Robbiem26 days ago

That was the first think I thought when I saw it. I wonder if Yas Island is essentially going to be Abu Dhabi’s WDW resort with the new Disneyland being the magic kingdom weenie and the other existing attractions on the island essentially being the other gates, Disney springs etc

Tiggerish27 days ago

You betcha. Just trying to spread kindness in the world, and rain on no one's parade.

GimpYancIent27 days ago

Thank you.

GimpYancIent27 days ago

Sadly true. The realities of F1 and the infrastructure requirements to put on a successful F1 event, truthfully, do not lend themselves well to WDW hosting an F1 race. The needs far exceed simply having a piece of property that could contain such an event. Also, the F1 calendar is already full (true). All that said, it would be quite an event IF the powers that be would ever want it to be. However, that does not preclude (heaven forbid someone / or some persons with some imagination) developing a venue involving slow speed LEGO F1 race cars that guests could operate. Fully functional (low speed) LEGO F1 cars were already debuted at the MIAMI GP. Just saying.

Comped27 days ago

Disney used to own multiple professional sports teams. They could afford to realistically buy Formula One Group if they wanted to. This is just somebody from PR thinking they can advertise with F1 similar to how they'd do with NASCAR.

Tiggerish27 days ago

I know. I was just trying to be polite.

Andrew C27 days ago

Disney doesn't have the infrastructure to support such an event, nor would they even to spend the money it would take to do so. There are already 3 races in the US, and the Formula 1 calendar is quite full. Races are being dropped to bring in new races such as the one in Spain next year where a purpose-build track was developed (with the Imola race in Italy being dropped).

Lilofan27 days ago

Good times at MK loved hearing the roar of the race car engines until the instructor crashed the Lambo rounding a curve and died. Richard Petty experience was never the same and closed and bulldozed to make a bigger MK parking lot.

DrStarlander28 days ago

I'm a big F1 fan, and a big Disney fan, and I get and support these two enterprises coming together...they reach unique markets and can help each other grow. But I think the emphasis on "Mickey & Friends" characters -- and having Mickey front and center on the launch media -- was all wrong. The Disney company has a lot that global F1 fans can respect -- ESPN, ABC Sports, the ability to do sports-reality programming on those platforms as well as Disney+/Hulu. They could even call back to Walt Disney being a "sportsman" who played polo. They could have showed clips of MLB and NFL heroes saying they're going to Disneyland after winning the World Series or Super Bowl. All this could have been part of a launch video with heart and gravitas, that showed that Disney "got" professional sports. ...and the Mickey stuff...that should have come later (if at all). The problem is that Disney and Mickey Mouse are not broadly relevant or respected (yet) among F1's core, global fans...the ones who saw this announcement and thought "What the hell is happening to our sport?" Disney needed to come in with some seriousness and respect, and heat up the "appeal-to-moms-and-their-kids-who-like-cars" frying pan much slower. It all kind of makes me wonder if the marketing people at Disney who thought to put Mickey Mouse out front have any clue about F1 and the psychographics of motorsport fans.

Tiggerish28 days ago

I was gonna say, they could race bicycles around that track and it wouldn't be the Tour de France...because I'm a smart@ss Far from a purist, I just know that F1 doesn't race on an oval, but NASCAR does, and fair point, so does Indycar just go round and round. 👍

Tiggerish28 days ago

That Miami F1 track was purpose-built along with the stadium, or so I understand. I think WDW will have a much harder time putting together a successful F1 course. But hey, if Vegas can do it, why not WDW? :cool:

GimpYancIent28 days ago

If Miami can stage a street race around a stadium and in parking lots WDW has enough roadways and plenty of parking lots space to create a street course. The NASCAR racetrack experience was a bust, F1 is a different experience all together. The younger (and some older) would enjoy a venue where visitors can drive LEGO F1 cars, a demonstration of such cars was done during the Miami GP.