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Tag: McLaren Racing

  • McLaren races into the past as Iron Mountain fuels digital revival

    McLaren races into the past as Iron Mountain fuels digital revival

    MUMBAI: When it comes to history, McLaren’s not just leaving skid marks, it’s digitising them. The racing powerhouse has teamed up with global information management leader Iron Mountain to put its legendary past in pole position for a digital-age revival.

    Through this partnership, Iron Mountain will help McLaren Racing reimagine its vast archives transforming decades of blueprints, films, and photographs into dynamic, intelligent content. Think of it as a pit stop for history, where dusty reels and fading sketches are tuned up with AI precision and set to race into the cloud.

    The collaboration marks a major lap in McLaren’s digital heritage transformation journey. Iron Mountain’s AI-enabled platform will help unlock hidden value in the team’s storied legacy, turning nostalgia into an interactive experience for fans and partners across the globe. From the roar of Ayrton Senna’s engines to the craftsmanship behind every chassis, McLaren’s most iconic moments are set to be revived, reimagined, and relived.

    McLaren Racing, co-chief commercial officer Nick Martin said, “Our fans are at the centre of what we do, and we are passionate about sharing our storied past with them. With the integration of Iron Mountain, we will be able to bring to life more of the team’s rich history for our fans and partners as we look to shine a light on the McLaren Racing brand.”

    Beyond storytelling, the partnership also brings efficiency to the garage. Iron Mountain will support McLaren in securely managing and recycling end-of-life IT assets, a move that reinforces the team’s commitment to innovation and sustainability both on and off the track.

    Starting from the 2025 United States Grand Prix, Iron Mountain’s branding will appear on both McLaren Formula 1 race cars, along with several other touchpoints throughout the 2025 season and beyond.

    Iron Mountain executive vice president & chief commercial officer Greg McIntosh added, “We are proud to partner with the McLaren Formula 1 Team, which embodies the spirit of innovation and high performance at Iron Mountain. Our AI-enabled digital platform will help to fuel new opportunities for success and transform McLaren Racing’s iconic heritage media protecting these timeless assets for future generations.”

    By preserving its past while powering towards the future, McLaren proves that even in Formula 1, heritage doesn’t slow you down, it gives you more traction.

     

  • Mastercard clinches naming rights to McLaren Formula 1 team from 2026

    Mastercard clinches naming rights to McLaren Formula 1 team from 2026

    AMSTERDAM: Mastercard has signed a landmark naming-rights deal with McLaren Racing, under which the team will compete from 2026 as the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 team. The partnership is valued by industry observers at more than $100 million over several years, putting it among the top tier of F1 sponsorship agreements.

    The announcement was made in Amsterdam by Raja Rajamannar, Mastercard’s chief marketing and communications officer and founding president of its healthcare business, alongside McLaren chief executive Zak Brown and drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

    Rajamannar said the tie-up rested on shared values of innovation, performance and fan engagement. “McLaren is the number one team, and this partnership allows us to connect fans to the sport in ways never seen before,” he said.

    As part of the deal, Mastercard unveiled Team Priceless, a global fan programme aimed at bringing supporters closer to the action through behind-the-scenes access, immersive digital activations and exclusive experiences with the drivers.

    The timing is strategic. Formula 1’s popularity has surged since Liberty Media acquired the sport in 2017 for $8 billion. Global TV audiences now exceed 500 million per year, with more than 45 per cent of viewers under 35 — a demographic highly prized by brands. Social media engagement grew 23 per cent year-on-year in 2024, making F1 the fastest-growing sports property online.

    McLaren, meanwhile, has staged a revival, finishing fourth in the constructors’ championship last season and securing eight podiums. New technical regulations in 2026, including hybrid power units with 50 per cent electrical output, are expected to level the playing field — an opportunity McLaren intends to seize with fresh investment.

    For Mastercard, the move reinforces a sponsorship strategy that already spans the UEFA Champions League, the Rugby World Cup and the Australian Open. Sports partnerships account for a significant portion of its global marketing spend, estimated at over $1.7 billion annually. By attaching its name directly to an F1 team, the company is betting that the sport’s glamour and youthful audience will deliver long-term brand dividends.