Art of the deal – 1Password and Red Bull partnership showcased in F1 Academy at Canadian GP

Partnerships between Formula 1 teams and their brands are growing, sponsorship in the series has topped $2billion, but those collaborations are now reaching beyond the series – with 1Password’s special F1 Academy race livery for Alisha Palmowski in Canada a fine example.

Red Bull and 1Password announced a deal ahead of the new F1 season, joining the team as official cybersecurity partner in a move that also took in the F1 Academy car supported by the Red Bull marque.

Palmowski, racing for Campos, sports the Red Bull livery in her races and a special one-off paint job has been showcased ahead of the race weekend in Canada – where F1 Academy will host three rounds following the cancellation of the second race in Miami due to inclement weather.

An event in Toronto on Tuesday saw the bespoke design of Canadian artist Kirsten McCrea unveiled before the action unfolds in Montreal.

The livery unites not only an emerging female artist with the women-only F1 Academy race series but also sees a celebration of all things Canadian, with 1Password also based in Toronto.

“F1 Academy is a platform to not only showcase female talent on and off track but also to bring more female fans into the world of motorsport,” Red Bull director of partnerships Julia George told Autosport.

“This is always our focus when we are ideating, how does this help push the sport along, reach a wider demographic and is there a touchpoint that showcases female talent? For this livery specifically, it was special that we were able find a local female Canadian artist, Kirsten McCrea, to design a bespoke livery specifically for F1 Academy and for Alisha to drive in over the Canada Grand Prix weekend.

“We worked closely with team cybersecurity partner, 1Password, to discover this artist and work together on the creative design. The Red Bull philosophy is about giving wings to people and ideas so collaborating with Kirsten McCrea was about giving her a creative platform to reach her dreams.”

Bespoke liveries have become increasingly popular in Formula 1 and Red Bull, in particular, has embraced the chance to be creative – but as George attests, it has to come without losing the soul of the team.

“Of course we have to ensure our car still looks like our car on track so we have certain elements like colour, branding to keep in mind,” she explained.

“But also we allow creative interpretation to develop such a distinct looking livery with an amazing story behind it. All of the well-known and iconic Red Bull branding is still on the car, so we view this as a more modern take on our current livery.”

For 1Password, being able to support F1 Academy as well as providing its essential services to Red Bull was something it was keen to get behind.

“At 1Password, we know that representation, mentorship, and access are essential, whether you’re on the track or working in tech,” Jeannie de Guzman, chief operating officer of 1Password told Autosport.

“Supporting Alisha Palmowski goes far beyond a sponsorship. We’re also protecting her digital life, securing everything from credentials to race notes, so she can stay focused on winning. It’s about helping shape a more inclusive future and showing young women that they don’t just have a place here — they have a path forward.

“As a Canadian-founded company, there’s something deeply meaningful about celebrating this moment in Toronto, the city that helped shape our journey. The Canadian Grand Prix gave us the perfect opportunity to do something bold and symbolic — to showcase female excellence on a global stage and celebrate the power of design, sport, and technology coming together.”

Palmowski, 18, has impressed in her debut year in F1 Academy and sits fourth in the championship having won the opening round of the season in Shanghai.