By Rory Carroll

LAS VEGAS, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Gatorade will sponsor the all-female F1 Academy and rookie driver Lisa Billard in a deal that the series's Managing Director Susie Wolff said underscored the championship's growing momentum.

Wolff said the tie-up comes as the F1 Academy, which will crown a champion at the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Saturday, steps up efforts to professionalise the pathway for women in single-seater racing.

"F1 Academy is not just a moment, it's a movement," Wolff told Reuters.

"We are growing from strength to strength, and partnering with Gatorade at this stage of our journey could not have been a better fit."

The deal goes beyond branding on cars and overalls and is designed to give every driver on the 2026 grid earlier access to performance knowledge that many young women in sport typically receive too late.

"For us, partnerships are never just about a logo on a car or a race suit," Wolff said.

"What makes this partnership so important is the expertise, knowledge and support that Gatorade and Gatorade Sports Science Institute can offer not just Lisa, but the entire 2026 F1 Academy grid."

BILLARD IMPRESSES

Billard, who impressed in an F1 Academy rookie test and as a wildcard entrant at the Singapore round, will join the series full-time in 2026 backed by the PepsiCo-owned brand.

"We're proud to be welcoming her to the paddock in 2026, alongside Gatorade, who are an iconic brand with a strong legacy in supporting elite athletes' performance."

Wolff, a former Formula One test driver, has framed F1 Academy's mission as "changing the future of motorsport" by breaking down structural barriers that have kept female participation at about 5% across all levels of racing.

"In just three years, we have made significant strides forward in addressing the barriers which have made reaching the highest levels of our sport more challenging for women," she said.

"This latest partnership allows us to offer even greater resources to our drivers as they prepare to progress up the single-seater ladder," she said.

"I look forward to seeing Lisa become an inspiring role model for young talent, especially at home in France, and to F1 Academy further cementing its place as a key step in the pathway of young female talent's development."

(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Las Vegas; Editing by Toby Davis)

((Rory.Carroll@thomsonreuters.com; 503-830-8017;))