Disney and Formula 1 unveil Montreal Grand Prix collectible gift drops

Disney and Formula 1 turned Montreal into a collectible merch moment, not just another race-weekend shop stop. The new Disney x F1 ACADEMY collection launched on May 21 with graphic tees, hoodies, pins, keychains and caps, while a special-edition Formula 1 x Disney Canada GP T-shirt was listed at US$64 as a pre-order item, with shipping expected on or around June 26.

That tee is the cleanest gift in the drop for the Formula 1 fan who likes a souvenir that feels more deliberate than a souvenir-shop impulse buy. At $64, it sits in premium event-merch territory, and the pre-order timing adds the kind of scarcity that makes race-weekend merchandise feel collectible. The broader F1 ACADEMY assortment is the better play for Disney adults, younger fans and anyone who wants something more playful, especially with Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck woven into fan experiences at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.

The Montreal rollout also had the right kind of spectacle behind it. F1 ACADEMY brought a show car into the “Fuel the Magic” fan activation area, and the collection was sold trackside, on F1.com, at the F1 Grand Prix Plaza and on DisneyStore.com. That spread matters because it gives the drop both the immediacy of a paddock purchase and the polish of a licensed gift release, which is exactly how premium fan merchandise becomes something people actually keep.

The partnership itself is built for that kind of cross-generational pull. Disney and Formula 1 first launched “Fuel the Magic” at the 2025 Heineken Las Vegas Grand Prix, and Disney says the 2026 campaign is meant to play out as a season-long story. Formula 1 says its global fanbase now totals 827 million worldwide, more than four million children aged 8 to 12 actively follow the sport across the EU and U.S., and 54 percent of followers on TikTok and 40 percent on Instagram are under 25. That is a huge sweet spot for gift-giving: enough scale for the collectors, enough nostalgia for the Disney faithful, and enough youth appeal to make the collaboration feel current rather than costume-y.

The smartest buy is the Canada GP tee for the F1 obsessive who wants a wearable memento with a clear event tie-in. The Minnie and Daisy pieces are for the Disney devotee who also loves design-led fan merchandise. Together, the Montreal drop shows how Disney and Formula 1 are turning race weekends into premium gift territory with real shelf life.