Paulaner signs supplier deal for Audi F1 team
Munich’s Paulaner Brewery, jointly-owned by Germany’s Schörghuber Group and Dutch beer giant Heineken, has signed a long-term partnership deal to be a key supplier to the future Audi Formula 1 team. db assesses why the motorsporting move is strategic for German beer, wheat beer and, indeed the 0% category.
The agreement is set to give its non-alcoholic Paulaner Weissbier 0.0% a boost, while also marking the start of a new chapter for Paulaner on the global motorsport stage.
Germany, historically revered for its brewing prowess, has seen its beer reputation wane of late after figures from the Statistisches Bundesamt office this year revealed that global interest in German beer is rapidly diminishing alongside continued ambivalence for local beer in Germany itself. Contributing to the downturn, the increase in non-alcohol alternatives has been one trend that has been indicated to be connected to this, or at least happening alongside the dip.
Harnessing trends in a bid to grow
According to the German Brewers’ Association, the boost in sales of alcohol-free beers have been seen to have more than doubled over the past 20 years. Speaking about the situation and ways to harness more of a leading role in the trend, the association revealed that brewers were now adapting to take part in the shift, rather than be ousted from the category completely. This is certainly what is being noted by the move by Paulaner, whether pushed by the Schörghuber family or by Heineken, Deutscher Brauer-Bund president Christian Weber recently indicated that such moves to push 0% beers in the meantime was one way brewers were “playing a key role” in growing the category amid the challenges.
From 2026, the new partnership is anticipated to catapult the Paulaner 0.0% wheat beer further into the spotlight as well as shine a light on the quality of Bavarian beer culture, celebration and all while “drinking responsibly”.
Heineken’s already established relationship with F1 and the fact that it has recently renewed its partnership with the motorsport has also made headlines of late, paving the way for the company’s connections to the Paulaner brand.
Partner Content
Speaking to the drinks business about styles of beer that could see a rise in popularity, wheat beers have been identified by beer experts as one style to watch. Author and beer award judge Adrian Tierney Jones proffered that “witbiers are something that brewers would be wise to look at”. Between the wheat, the zero alcohol beer trend and the rise in popularity of Formula 1 sports tie-ups with beer businesses – as evidenced by Asahi’s Peroni Nastro Azzuro 0% brand’s connections with Ferrari and F1 – the new supplier relationship for Audi’s F1 team looks like it is well-considered and primed for success.
A global opportunity
Revealing more about the deal, Stefano Battiston, chief commercial officer of the future Audi F1 Team hinted that the strategy was looking at this partnership as a “global” opportunity.
Battiston said: “Paulaner and the future Audi F1 Team share a winning mindset rooted in performance, passion and pride in our heritage. Both brands stand for craftsmanship, authenticity and the relentless pursuit of excellence. Together, we will create experiences that bring fans closer to the team and celebrate every success on and off the track with a Paulaner 0.0% in hand on a global scale.”
In other terms, the brewery chief noted that it was also a chance to broaden the beer’s reach to a new audience, flagging that it saw the deal as a way of tapping into a “new generation”. Describing this, Paulaner Brewery Group CEO Jörg Biebernick added: “This cooperation underscores our long-term commitment to combining pleasure, quality, and responsibility in professional sports. We look forward to bringing our plans to life and introducing Paulaner to a new generation of motorsport fans.”
Paulaner recently made the decision to switch its distribution in South Korea from Hitejinro to Heineken Korea as part of its “long-term internal strategy” showing that the brand is making more moves to align the business on a global scale with the internal onnections it already has established and can use to its advantage.
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