Formula 1 has extended its Disney partnership through 2028, bringing Pixar's Cars franchise into the fold. Lightning McQueen will debut at Monza in a new look as part of a deal that expands the "Fuel the Magic" program launched in 2025 with Mickey & Friends.
The play is merchandise-driven, and Cars delivers—$21.5 billion in lifetime revenue, $19.1 billion from products alone, making it one of Disney's biggest earners. F1 wants younger fans and mainstream crossover beyond motorsport diehards. The partnership already runs trackside activations, limited drops, and digital content at Vegas, Shanghai, and Silverstone.
Adding a NASCAR-coded character to open-wheel racing is aesthetically strange, but the commercial math works. F1 claims 800 million fans worldwide; Disney knows how to monetize franchises at scale. Expect Lightning McQueen merch stands at Austin and Miami by next season, and probably a limited-edition die-cast that sells out in minutes.
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