Why F1 drivers love padel as Aston Martin become the latest to embrace the sport

Padel has become an increasingly popular sport among Formula 1 drivers, with Fernando Alonso and George Russell teaming up on the court, while Pierre Gasly has even invested in his own team. Now Aston Martin have taken that connection a step further with the launch of a new collection of padel rackets.

Padel has found a growing following within the paddock. But what exactly is the sport, and why have so many F1 drivers taken to it?

Aston Martin bring F1 to the padel court

Ahead of the 2026 United States Grand Prix,Aston Martin announced a collaboration with racket sports brand Padeltek, becoming the first F1 team to formally partner with a company specialising in padel and pickleball.

The collection features three padel rackets and accompanying cover bags, with pickleball equipment set to follow in 2027. To celebrate the launch, Aston Martin hosted an event in Austin, where Jenson Button, Jessica Hawkins, Jak Crawford and Pedro de la Rosa took to the court.

For Matt Chapman, 'Aston Martin's Head of Licensing and Merchandise, the sport's popularity within the paddock presented an opportunity to explore a new area for the team.

"Padel was a particularly interesting opportunity given its incredible growth and the natural connection it has developed with the Formula 1 paddock," Chapman told F1.com.

"We've seen how popular the sport has become among drivers and teams, but the appeal goes much further than that. It has a global and diverse community, which presents an exciting opportunity for us to connect with new audiences and explore a different side of our brand."

However, Chapman explained that the team wanted to ensure the collaboration went beyond simply adding its branding to existing equipment.

"Authenticity was really important to us from the outset. We wanted to create something that went beyond simply putting our name on a product, ensuring the collection genuinely reflected both our identity and the demands of the sport.

"Working with Padeltek allowed us to bring together their expertise in padel equipment, with our own design. We wanted the collection to feel unmistakably Aston Martin, while ensuring the products were designed to perform on court. Striking that balance between design, functionality and performance was key."

Aston Martin's Chief Marketing Officer, Rob Bloom, believes the competitive similarities between Formula 1 and padel have contributed to the sport's popularity.

"There's a natural crossover between the two sports, particularly when you consider the competitive mindset and the importance of quick thinking, precision and reaction times," Bloom told F1.com.

"Padel has become a sport that has brought people together, whether that's drivers, team members or fans, and it's become a great way for the paddock to connect away from the intensity of a race weekend."

What is padel, and why do F1 drivers love it?

Combining elements of tennis and squash, padel is typically played in doubles on an enclosed court surrounded by glass walls and fencing.

The scoring system is similar to tennis, but players serve underarm, use solid rackets and can return shots after the ball rebounds off the surrounding walls. The fast-paced rallies demand quick reactions, communication and teamwork, qualities that also play an important role in Formula 1.

According to Mike Dale, Editor of The Padel Paper, its accessibility is a major part of the appeal, particularly for professional athletes.

"Padel has indeed become really popular with current and ex-sportsmen and women. The sport is obviously very trendy and quite a lot of the emerging clubs are quite high-end, so the environment is attractive to people from the equally glamorous F1 world," he told F1.com.

"But the biggest reason is that padel is very easy to become quite good at quite quickly, particularly if you've got a baseline of athleticism, sporting ability and hand-eye coordination. And that feeling of being 'good' quite quickly is very addictive!"

The social element is another attraction for drivers, with Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Carlos Sainz, and Charles Leclerc among those regularly enjoying matches away from the track.

Ahead of the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix, Norris and Gabriel Bortoleto were spotted enjoying a game, while Alex Albon revealed that drivers had even established a group chat to organise late-night matches during the race weekend.

Despite taking place away from the pressures of a Grand Prix weekend, their competitive instincts remain.

Fernando Alonso has played padel for well over a decade, and during the 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix weekend revealed that he and Russell had enjoyed an unbeaten record together.

"I was [impressed by Russell]. I've been playing padel for, 12 or 15 years," Alonso said.

"But I think George is quite new to it and he was strong. And we are unbeatable at the moment! We play once and it's 100% dominant wins!"

Russell, meanwhile, explained that padel had become a welcome hobby during the latter stages of the season.

"Team mates on the padel court, 100% record against our competitors. It's always nice to do that as a sport, I've been getting into it a little bit as this year has progressed, and especially this time of the season, you spend a lot of time away, so it's nice to have a hobby on the side."

Piastri has also admitted that the drivers take their matches rather seriously.

"We take it far too seriously, yes. But it's very good fun and a good way of, you know, just keeping yourself awake."

Gasly takes his passion for padel further

While many drivers enjoy padel recreationally, Pierre Gasly has become involved in the sport as a team owner.

The Alpine driver is an investor in 10Padel, a team competing in the Hexagon Cup, an international padel competition which has attracted several high-profile investors.

"Padel is something I really enjoy in my daily life, and I believe it's a sport with incredible business potential," Gasly told Reuters in February 2026. "I'm happy to be a part of its growth through my team."

For Gasly, exploring interests outside Formula 1 is an important part of his life.

"Formula 1 opens many opportunities. While I wake up thinking about F1 and fall asleep thinking about it, there's more to life. I want to discover other things and mix them with my passions," he explained.

Could Formula 1 help padel reach new audiences?

With drivers regularly sharing their enthusiasm for padel and Aston Martin introducing its own equipment collection, the relationship between the two sports continues to develop.

For Aston Martin's Bloom, the partnership offers an opportunity to engage with fans beyond the traditional motorsport environment.

"Formula 1 has an incredibly diverse fanbase, and for Aston Martin, it's about finding authentic ways to meet fans on their terms – that means in their communities beyond motorsport. Padel is a great example of that.

"Collaborations like this allow fans to engage with the team through something they enjoy themselves, creating a connection that extends beyond the racetrack. Ultimately, we want to be part of the conversations and communities that matter to our fans, wherever their interests lie."

Dale similarly believes that partnerships involving F1 teams and drivers could help introduce padel to new audiences.

"These F1 and padel partnerships help raise padel's profile even more. There's a massive investor buzz around padel, with new clubs, tech, equipment and apparel being launched on a daily basis."

He also highlighted the influence of high-profile figures, including football legends David Beckham, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, in attracting potential players.

"When people see these celebrities on their social timelines holding a racket and smiling, it raises public awareness and curiosity about the game. It also makes it aspirational. 'If Beckham or Lando's doing it, I want to try it too!'"

Padel has also made appearances at Grand Prix venues, with courts installed at Silverstone in recent years and an area dedicated to the sport at the United States Grand Prix in Austin.

For fans tempted to follow their favourite drivers onto the court, Dale believes the ease of picking up the game is one of its greatest strengths.

"Almost anyone can go on court and have enjoyable rallies straight away – friends, families, all ages and abilities. You quite quickly get that magic feeling of 'I can do this!', which then equally quickly becomes, 'I'm good at this!' and that's very addictive."

With drivers competing against each other away from the track and teams beginning to get involved, padel is becoming an increasingly familiar part of life in the F1 paddock. And judging by the enthusiasm of those already playing, the competition is unlikely to remain confined to the circuit.