Metal additive manufacturing firm Velo3D has announced a sponsorship and technology partnership with Andretti Performance for two 2026 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge races. The collaboration places Velo3D branding on the No. 43 Andretti Performance Porsche at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, while putting the company’s metal additive manufacturing capabilities to work in a live motorsport environment.
Velo3D CEO Arun Jeldi framed it as more than a branding exercise. “This partnership is more than brand alignment. It is a real-world demonstration of how advanced additive manufacturing can solve complex engineering challenges and deliver superior performance in the most demanding environments. We believe opportunities like this expand awareness of Velo3D’s differentiated technology while showcasing the broader potential of additive manufacturing beyond traditional industrial markets.”
A Bracket Built for the Cockpit
At the center of the technical collaboration is an aluminum radio controls mounting bracket, designed and produced by Velo3D for the No. 43 car’s cockpit. The component was manufactured using Constellium’s Aheadd CP1 aluminum alloy, a material engineered for additive manufacturing and adopted in aerospace and defense for its combination of light weight, high strength, and resistance to elevated temperatures. Generative design tools were used to push structural efficiency as far as possible while keeping mass to a minimum, an approach the team connected to the late John Andretti’s driving philosophy: “smart, but aggressive.”
For Jarett Andretti, driver of the No. 43 entry, the partnership has been years in the making. “I’m very excited to bring Velo3D into auto racing with Andretti Performance,” said Andretti. “I learned about Velo3D a few years ago and have been impressed how they have pushed boundaries on propulsion engines in aerospace and defense. I’m excited to have found an opportunity for us to partner.”
Racing as a Proving Ground for Advanced Manufacturing
Motorsport has increasingly become a testing arena for additive manufacturing ambitions across the industry. LEGACY MOTOR CLUB has integrated 3D printing into its weekly operations, with between 10 and 20 parts on its vehicles either prototyped or produced using additive manufacturing each week, cutting the cost of grille bezels from around $1,900 per unit when sourced externally to $471 when produced in-house.
At the top of the grid, the BWT Alpine F1 team produces around 25,000 3D printed parts annually to support wind tunnel testing, while McLaren has maintained a partnership with Stratasys since 2017, leveraging five Neo 800 systems for aerodynamic wind tunnel components.
The Andretti name itself has become a recurring fixture in additive manufacturing partnerships, Stratasys renewed its role as official 3D printing partner of Andretti INDYCAR in a collaboration dating back to 2018, supporting the production of mission-critical components including cooling shrouds, steering wheel tools, and helmet adapters using industrial-grade FDM systems.
For Velo3D, the Andretti partnership fits within this broader strategy and goes a step further. Having already worked with PWR on motorsport cooling systems, the company is deepening its presence in the sector rather than entering it. The Andretti deal marks a step up: from technical contributor to named partner, with performance-critical metal components on track, and branding to match.
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Featured image shows No. 43 Andretti Performance Porsche hits the track with a Velo3D designed aluminum bracket mounted in the cockpit. Image via Velo3D.
