By Kimberly Wilson ·Updated March 13, 2026 Getting your Trinity Audio player ready…

Sephora just entered the race. Literally.

The beauty retailer announced an official partnership with F1 Academy, the all-female racing series backed by Formula 1, ahead of the 2026 season opener in Shanghai this week. 

If you’ve been watching Sephora’s moves lately, this probably doesn’t surprise you. Over the past year the brand has been building one of the most intentional women’s sports portfolios in beauty, partnering with Unrivaled basketball league in 2025 and later taking on naming rights for the league’s Miami home, now known as Sephora Arena. Similarly, they also partnered with the WNBA Golden State Valkyries. Racing, though, is a whole other world to walk into.

“We are thrilled to become the Official Beauty Retail Partner of F1 ACADEMY, supporting their commitment to women’s empowerment worldwide,” said Deborah Yeh, Global Chief Marketing Officer, SEPHORA. 

“This collaboration will give us an incredible opportunity to engage with audiences from Shanghai to Austin, bringing our unique brand experience to fans while supporting the dreams of these athletes. We look forward to celebrating the synergy between sports and beauty and continuing to champion our shared values throughout the various races.”

Launched in 2023, the F1 Academy series exists to get women into professional motorsport, on the track and off it. It’s now in its third season, with 14 races across seven rounds, all running alongside the FIA Formula One World Championship. 

Under the partnership, Sephora becomes the Official Beauty Retail Partner of the series and will bring its Glam Bars to the F1 Paddock Club at 18 Grands Prix throughout the season. Fan activations are planned at select races worldwide. For Sephora’s 80 million active members, it opens a door into a world that hasn’t always felt accessible or particularly inviting. 

Spanish rookie Natalia Granada is joining the 2026 grid under the “SEPHORA operated by PREMA” banner, her car wrapped in the brand’s signature black-and-white stripes and red. It’s her first full season and having impressed during the inaugural F1 Academy rookie test in 2025, this is her shot.

“Beauty and sport might seem like different worlds, but both celebrate confidence and expression,” Granada said. “It’s empowering to have a brand that truly believes in our ambitions.”

There’s also a new end-of-year celebration being introduced this season, sponsored by Sephora, honoring driver progress and performance, which is a first for the series.

Women have been showing up in these spaces for years, often without the backing to match their talent. The question has always been whether anyone was willing to put money and visibility behind them being there. Sephora is doing both.

The post Sephora Is Bringing Beauty Trackside In New F1 Academy Partnership appeared first on Essence.

Author: Kimberly Wilson

Read the original article on Essence.