Mercedes logs onto new F1 era with new trillion-dollar company partnership
Mercedes has announced a brand-new F1 partnership with technical behemoth Microsoft ahead of the 2026 season. As the team prepares to launch its W17 machine later on Thursday, it was announced that the company founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen would be joining forces with the eight-time constructors' champions ahead of the new era. Explaining the deal, Mercedes said that it was "partnering with Microsoft to harness the power of its trusted cloud and enterprise AI technologies across the business from the factory to the racetrack." According to a report from Sky News, the deal could be worth up to as much as $60 million per year, making it one of the largest F1 sponsor deals on the grid. "Our sport is driven by those who lead through innovation," explained Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. "We are delighted to partner with Microsoft, one of the world's foremost technology leaders, whose name is synonymous with groundbreaking innovation. "This partnership also reflects our commitment to staying at the forefront of performance and progress. By putting Microsoft's technology at the centre of how we operate as a team, we will create faster insights, smarter collaboration and new ways of working as we look ahead to the next generation in F1." Microsoft's CEO of commercial business , Judson Althoff, explained that the "cloud and enterprise AI technologies" would be "at the heart of racing performance where milliseconds matter and data determines outcomes." In July 2025, Microsoft passed a market cap of $4 billion USD for the first time. The striking new livery for the 2026 W17 was unveiled, with a full photo gallery available by clicking on the link.