Ollie Bearman has a new co-star on his TGR Haas F1 Team race suit this season, and it’s not another energy drink or watchmaker.
He’s become the Official Luxury Pet Accessories Partner and Global Brand Partner of VETRESKA, a Singapore-based pet lifestyle brand, the first pet-category personal sponsorship the Formula 1 grid has ever seen.
The deal, facilitated by Rakuten Capital and Rakuten Sports, is not really about Bearman at all.
It’s about his dogs, Freddie, an English Bull Terrier, and Ruby, a Boston Terrier, who now find themselves at the centre of a global brand campaign.
VETRESKA’s logo now adorns Bearman’s race suit, with drivers ‘pets becoming increasingly well-known among F1’s fanbase.
Bearman is not breaking new ground by having a paddock-famous dog, even if he is the first to have one sponsored.
Charles Leclerc’s dachshund Leo has become a genuine fixture of race weekends, regularly pictured trackside with the Scuderia Ferrari HP driver and his partner, Alexandra Saint Mleux.
His Ferrari team-mate, Lewis Hamilton, set the template. His bulldog Roscoe held his own paddock pass for over a decade and became something of an F1 institution in his own right, before his death last year.
Formula 1 and pet lifestyle are both capturing the imagination of a new generation, and Ollie lives right at that intersection.
Donald Kng
Freddie and Ruby now arrive with a rather more formal job title and Donald Kng, Co-Founder and Chief Exectuvie Officer of VETRESKA, believes the timing was right for such a deal.
“Formula 1 and pet lifestyle are both capturing the imagination of a new generation, and Ollie lives right at that intersection,” he said.
“The way he moves through a fast-paced, high-pressure world while staying deeply connected to his dogs reflects exactly what VETRESKA stands for.”
VETRESKA recently launched its Circuit Collection of motorsport-inspired pet accessories and a fan meet-and-greet with Bearman and VETRESKA is planned at the Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix in October.
“My world is heavily focused on racing, so I really appreciate having things away from the sport that help me switch off, especially time with my family and my dogs,” Bearman said.
“As a dog lover, partnering with VETRESKA felt like a natural step, and it’s great to be working with a brand that adds to those moments.”
