The Olympic Federation of Ireland and Fiat have announced a new four-year partnership, which will see the iconic Italian car brand become the Official Car Partner of Team Ireland through the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games and the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympic Games.

This deal would not have been possible last year when Toyota were still on board with the IOC as a Top Olympic Partner but their stepping back has opened up the automotive category for National Olympic Committees to secure their own.

Even if a brand were to come in on top at the IOC, this deal would remain in place as it was signed in good faith at a time when it was permitted to do so.

The partnership is focused on supporting athletes’ performance by providing transport solutions to aid training, competition, and day-to-day commitments.

Under the agreement, a dedicated fleet of Fiat vehicles will be made available to athletes and sporting National Governing Bodies.

This fleet includes three all-electric Fiat Grande Pandas, forming a sustainable ‘athlete pool’ of vehicles to facilitate eco-friendly travel to training, competitions, and official engagements and a Fiat Scudo van and a Fiat Crew Cap people carrier, designated for use by National Governing Bodies to support broader team logistics and operations.

“Fiat’s support will help athletes by removing a significant barrier and cost that they face in getting to and from training and events, we want our athletes to focus on performance, and this is a real enabler in that area,” said Peter Sherrard, CEO of the Olympic Federation of Ireland.

“The fact that the athlete vehicles will be all-electric is also important to us as the OFI ensures that every part of our operations is as sustainable as possible.”

Fiat has a long heritage of support for the Olympic movement and was the main sponsor of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. It will continue this relationship at next year’s Games in Milant Cortina through parent company Stellantis which is providing Fiat vehicles as part of a fleet for the event.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering with the Olympic Federation of Ireland over the next four years,” added John Sauders, Managing Director of Fiat Ireland.

“Fiat’s rich history with the Olympics makes this the perfect partnership for us. As a team, we cannot wait to do our best in supporting our athletes on the road to LA in 2028. We have great confidence in what we can achieve together.”

Paris 2024 Olympian, Heptathlete and Fiat ambassador, Kate O’Connor, said transport can often be a challenge for athletes, so having Fiat’s support will be a game changer,

“Getting to training and competitions isn’t always easy, especially when you’re juggling schedules and relying on public transport or lifts. Having access to a pool of Fiat vehicles will take a big weight off and give athletes one less thing to worry about. It’s a real boost to know we will have that support behind us.”

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