The motorsport series F1 ACADEMY has agreed a multi-year partnership with the Unilever platform Dirt Is Good, making the laundry collective the championship’s first ever official laundry detergent partner. The collaboration brings household names such as OMO, Persil and Skip into the paddock and will be visible across the 2026 calendar, beginning with the event at the FORMULA 1 LENOVO GRAND PRIX DU CANADA in Montreal for Round 2. The alliance is positioned to connect performance on track with product performance off it, using motorsport activations to spotlight innovation and progression.
Alongside the Montreal debut, Dirt Is Good will stage a flagship activation during Round 4 at the FORMULA 1 HEINEKEN DUTCH GRAND PRIX in Zandvoort. As part of that program the brand is supporting a Wild Card drive: 17-year-old driver Zoe Florescu will pilot a bespoke #15 car whose livery and race kit are inspired by Wonder Wash Max. The product is being promoted as Unilever’s most notable home-care innovation of the decade and the collaboration ties product claims directly to race storytelling.
What the partnership includes
The agreement covers on-track branding, promotional activations and athlete support, and spans multiple seasons. Dirt Is Good will integrate product messaging into paddock activations and fan-facing experiences, while also featuring in a broader international campaign. The move extends Dirt Is Good’s existing sports partnerships and continues the brand’s strategy of using athletics as a platform for social impact. Fans will see the brand at selected rounds and in creative content that links the concept of speed and reliability to the cleaning performance of Wonder Wash Max.
Zoe Florescu and the Zandvoort wild card
Zoe Florescu, who took part in last year’s inaugural Rookie Test and currently races in Spanish F4, has been chosen as the Dirt Is Good Wild Card for Zandvoort. The 17-year-old’s selection highlights F1 ACADEMY’s role as a development platform that gives emerging drivers high-visibility opportunities to demonstrate race craft and mental resilience. For Zoe, the Zandvoort entry is both an on-track challenge and a marketing moment: the #15 race number references the product message and helps tell the brand story.
Livery, kit and product storytelling
The bespoke car livery and team race kit were created with Wonder Wash Max visual cues in mind, designed to be recognisable on broadcast and at the circuit. The product itself is engineered for short cycles, low machine agitation and lower temperatures, with the claim that it can deliver maximum cleaning performance in as little as 15 minutes — a detail echoed by the #15 identity on Florescu’s car. That link between product capability and sporting performance is central to the activation’s creative brief.
Brand purpose and social impact
Beyond motorsport exposure, this partnership ties into Dirt Is Good’s wider purpose work. The platform has previously partnered with high-profile athletes such as Usain Bolt and launched award-winning initiatives with clubs like Arsenal F.C. That campaign work included Every Stain Should Be Part of the Game, an effort to normalise period stains in sport and reduce stigma. Research cited by those programmes — including findings from the Youth Sport Trust — showed worrying barriers: about six in 10 girls report fear of playing due to period leaks, and near 79% say periods affect confidence when competing. Dirt Is Good frames its motorsport investment as another route to inspire young athletes and promote equality in sport.
Voices from the collaboration
The managing director of the series described the partnership as a timely boost for a championship that is steadily increasing its competitive level and profile, noting the value of partners who create real opportunities for developing drivers. From the brand side, Unilever’s home-care marketing lead positioned Wonder Wash Max as a performance-driven product suited to fast-paced lifestyles — an attribute the brand equates with the demands of racing. Florescu herself emphasised the pressure and visibility of F1 ACADEMY, welcoming the backing as she prepares to showcase her abilities at Zandvoort.
What to watch this season
Keep an eye on Round 2 in Montreal for Dirt Is Good’s paddock debut and expect a larger creative push at Round 4 in Zandvoort when the Wild Card entry runs in full brand livery. The partnership links product innovation, athlete development and social messaging, and it will be measured both by its on-track presence and by how effectively it communicates the brand’s broader mission: to inspire participation, support young sportspeople and demonstrate a product that promises fast, reliable cleaning performance when time matters.
