Breaking Barriers with Bows
Why F1 Academy’s Sanrio partnership proves there’s space for femininity on the track.
The news that F1 Academy will partner with Sanrio for the Las Vegas Grand Prix stopped me in my tracks, but in the best way possible. The thought of Hello Kitty grandstands, pastel coloured merchandise and Sanrio characters reimagined as racing drivers feels like such a breath of fresh air in a space that is so often reluctant to step outside its traditional image. Motorsport, for decades, has been branded as gritty, tough and aggressive. But femininity has always been here too, even if it hasn’t been welcomed or celebrated. This collaboration feels like the start of a long overdue conversation about what “belongs” in motorsport.
For so long, symbols associated with femininity such as pink, bows or even simply being “girly” have been considered out of place in the paddock. Women and girls entering the sport often feel the unspoken rule that they must tone it down, neutralise their personality and ultimately fit into the mould of the existing culture. But why should anyone have to check a part of themselves at the door to be taken seriously? The reality is, a driver with a Hello Kitty helmet or a fan waving a pastel flag has every bit as much passion, talent and legitimacy as someone leaning into a more “traditional” aesthetic. F1 Academy’s partnership with Sanrio proves this point by making femininity visible, and powerful, in a racing venue as large as Vegas.
What excites me most about this partnership is its potential to reach new fans who may have felt that motorsport wasn’t “for them”. When a young girl sees Sanrio characters woven into the sport she’s just discovering, it tells her she doesn’t need to change who she is to belong here. She can love bows, pink and Hello Kitty and love the roar of engines and speed of the track. Inclusivity in motorsport isn’t just about who gets to drive the cars, it’s also about who feels seen in the stands, on the broadcast and in the culture surrounding the sport.
This collaboration challenges the outdated perception that motorsport must remain firmly masculine in its identity. Instead, it offers a reminder that a sport such as racing thrives when it evolves, welcomes new expressions of fandom and makes space for different forms of identity. A grandstand decorated with Sanrio characters doesn’t make motorsport any less serious, if anything, it makes it more exciting, more accessible and more reflective of the diverse fans who love it.
Motorsport doesn’t lose anything by embracing a touch of pink. It gains the chance to grow, to inspire and to welcome people who have been waiting for a signal that their passions belong here too. And honestly? Seeing Hello Kitty under the Las Vegas lights feels like exactly the kind of future I want for racing.