Hello Kitty is heading back to the Las Vegas Grand Prix, with a new F1 Academy merchandise collection on sale ahead of the all-female series’ finale on the Strip.
Racing-Inspired Streetwear and Exclusive Items
Sanrio, the Japanese company that owns Hello Kitty and Friends, first teamed up with F1 Academy at last year’s Las Vegas round, in what was the championship’s first merchandise collection. The partnership will return for the 2026 season finale, which runs from 19 to 21 November alongside the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
This year’s range leans into racing-inspired streetwear. The headline piece is a pink, black and ivory motorsport-style leather jacket, which fans can only buy at the Hello Kitty Grand Cafe at Park MGM.
Alongside the leather jacket are three T-shirts with Las Vegas designs, named Stardust, Finishline and Pit Crew, plush keychains, and a 12-inch soft toy of Hello Kitty in her own F1 Academy race suit and helmet. Fans can purchase the range via Sanrio and F1’s official store online or at the F1 Las Vegas Hub at The Venetian. Parts of the range will also be available at the Bellagio, Wynn, Aria and Park MGM.
Partnership and Fan Zone Activities
Sanrio chief brand officer Jill Koch stated that they were excited to return to Las Vegas with F1 Academy and continue a partnership that felt like a natural fit for Hello Kitty and Friends. She added that at its heart, the collaboration was about celebrating individuality, friendship and the confidence to pursue dreams, noting that F1 Academy was creating exciting opportunities for a new generation of female drivers.
Away from the shops, Sanrio is setting up a Fan Zone inside the F1 Academy paddock. Fans with tickets will be able to pick up cookies and hot chocolate at a pitstop version of the Hello Kitty Cafe, make crowns and friendship bracelets in a craft area and test their reactions in a game built around catching Hello Kitty bows, alongside a photo booth.
