Specialized has announced a multi-year partnership with Audi Revolut F1 Team, becoming the squad’s official bicycle and e-bike supplier for the 2026 and 2027 Formula One seasons.
The deal will see Specialized provide a fleet of bikes for riders and staff, ranging from the brand’s race-focused Tarmac road bike to its Vado 3 electric bike. The brand says these will be used for transport and recovery duties around race weekends and the team’s Hinwil headquarters in Switzerland.
Partnerships between bike brands and motorsport teams aren’t new; many will remember that Specialised co-developed a Venge with McLaren back in 2011. And who can forget Colnago’s CF1 made alongside Ferrari’s composites team.
However, it appears this partnership is more superficial than R&D-based.
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Specialized says the collaboration is rooted in a shared focus on “relentless innovation and uncompromising performance”, with CEO Armin Landgraf highlighting the parallels between elite cycling and top-tier motorsport.
Audi Revolut F1 Team chief commercial officer Stefano Battiston added that “maintaining peak physical condition across the team is essential in such a demanding environment, and Specialized’s premium bikes will play a key role in supporting the fitness, wellbeing, and recovery of our people, both at the track and at our facilities.”
Cycling has become deeply embedded within Formula One culture in recent years, both as a training tool and as a way for drivers and staff to stay mobile during packed race weekends.
There are also plenty of ex-racers with a cycling passion, with Valtteri Bottas and Mark Webber being avid riders.
The announcement also hints at future co-branded projects, with Specialized teasing “very cool collaborations” still to come.
Whether that means limited-edition bikes, shared tech development or something more ambitious remains to be seen.
