When Formula 1 meets the NFL

It’s Super Bowl Sunday! Across the world, millions will be tuning in to watch the Seattle Seahawks take on the New England Patriots for the Vince Lombardi Trophy, along with a blockbuster halftime show from Bad Bunny. Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara is hosting Super Bowl LX, leaving many viewers facing a tough time zone difference, but racing fans planning to stay up will get a special Formula 1 treat partway through the game…

Our newest team Cadillac are fully leaning into their American roots, announcing their 2026 livery during a Super Bowl television advert. The first look of the design that Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas’ will be driving is sure to be a highlight of the evening, but it’s far from the first time that American football and F1 have crossed paths.

Whether it’s the Miami Grand Prix’s incorporation of the NFL stadium, the various investments from drivers and players in each other’s sports, or the many cameos made by NFL stars at race weekends, the two sports have more in common than ever before. Let’s explore all the connections between the two as we approach kick-off in the NFL season finale…

Cadillac commercial reveal

Back in early December, Cadillac announced that they were revealing their debut livery during one of the coveted Super Bowl commercial breaks – another fresh idea to reveal a design. With this reveal, the American team are continuing to build their North American fan base that came with the hiring of Mexican Perez and test driver Coltan Herta.

We will get to see their 2026 contender during Bahrain testing in the coming weeks, having seen it adorned in the special shakedown livery in Barcelona, as they build up to their maiden F1 season.

Merging for Miami

American football and racing are never closer than during the Miami Grand Prix race weekend. Debuting in 2022, the Miami International Autodrome was designed around the Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.

There are two paddocks at the track – one near the pit lane and another situated inside the stadium itself. The field becomes home to media facilities and team buildings, but the grass still sees footballing action, as Dolphins players regularly come down to teach the grid some skills.

Kicking, throwing and catching drills are a highlight for the drivers, despite their consistent struggles, but they’ll feel better seeing some of the NFL players reactions to speed. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri flexed some of his racing muscles when giving Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa a hot lap – an experience that certainly thrilled if not scared the American!

Star Investment

Given the size of both sports, it was inevitable that big players in both worlds would see opportunity in the other. Lewis Hamilton has a diverse range of interests, but recently American football has been at the forefront of his mind.

In 2022, the seven-time World Champion became part owner of the three-time Super Bowl-winning Denver Broncos. Since then, Hamilton has attended several games and followed the Broncos’ journey to the AFC Championship game religiously, as they agonisingly fell to the Patriots 10-7.

In 2023, this time it was the turn of some of the NFL’s biggest stars to invest in motorsport. Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, winners of three Super Bowls as team mates, joined Otro Capital’s consortium that invested into Alpine. Quarterback Mahomes checked out his new favourite team at last year’s Miami Grand Prix, and he’ll be hoping the French outfit improve from last year’s struggles thanks to the new regulations.

Football fanatic Ricciardo

We couldn’t mention the NFL without bringing up eight-time race winner Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian was looking for a franchise to follow, but after meeting Buffalo Bills quarterback and future NFL MVP Josh Allen in 2019, his heart was set.

The pair became good friends, and Ricciardo has been a superfan ever since, eventually making it to his first Bills game in Buffalo in 2024. The 36-year-old even got the chance to catch a football from the legendary Tom Brady in 2019, with the American launching a ball from yacht to yacht in Monaco – a memorable moment for Daniel!

Athlete appearances

Elite athletes love getting a taste of the action at some huge sporting events, and it’s no different when it comes to NFL and F1 stars. The introduction of the Las Vegas Grand Prix in 2023 was a golden opportunity for the grid to take advantage of the city and catch some NFL action, with Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz, and Alex Albon all visiting the Las Vegas Raiders last year at the start of race week. Elsewhere, Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson visited the Los Angeles Rams in 2024, even getting on the pitch for some pictures with the players!

There have been countless NFL icons who have been drawn to the spectacle of F1 over the years. Dallas Cowboys duo Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb paid a visit to the Red Bull garage in Miami in 2023, while last year, former LA Rams champions Jalen Ramsey and Odell Beckham Jr made it to the grid in Florida, along with legendary running back Derrick Henry.

Brothers T.J. and J.J. Watt, who have four NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards between them, were invited to the Haas garage for the 2022 Miami Grand Prix – even finding time to take on some pitstop challenges! Another guest of Red Bull in Miami last year, 2022 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Justin Jefferson also had a go with the wheel gun, although he looked slightly bemused by the technology.

Some older players have also made appearances in days gone by – including seven-time Super Bowl champion Brady, who caught up with Nico Rosberg at the 2016 Monaco Grand Prix. His former Patriots team mate Rob Gronkowski was seen in Miami last year, and former Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco Johnson was in Vegas for Max Verstappen’s 2025 win. Hall of Famer Michael Strahan was a guest of McLaren for last year’s Dutch Grand Prix, while Hamilton and 2014 Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson met up before the 2018 Canadian Grand Prix.

Crews’ double career

Actor and television host Terry Crews has become a regular in the paddock over the past few seasons, with the ‘White Chicks’ star even becoming a member of the post-race interviews line-up in Vegas. The pairing has become a natural fit given Crews’ charisma and the ever-growing flair of the North American race weekends.

But did you know that Crews is a former professional football player? Between 1991 and 1997, he played in the NFL as a defensive end and linebacker for several teams, including the Green Bay Packers and San Diego Chargers, before heading into acting and presenting. And we’re pretty glad he made the switch!

Not only has Crews captivated the F1 audiences – he’s provided some pretty unforgettable viral moments – who could forget when he chaperoned Verstappen, Norris and George Russell to the Las Vegas podium in the pink Lego Cadillac?

Cowboys Cheerleader collab

Netflix’s Drive to Survive and America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have been two of the biggest shows on the platform, and the two came together at the 2024 United States Grand Prix in Texas. Based not far from the Circuit of The Americas, the NFL team’s cheerleaders were everywhere during the race weekend, getting pictures with drivers, performing on the grid, and even waving the flag as Ferrari claimed a one-two with Charles Leclerc and Sainz.