The McLaren F1 team has announced Mastercard will become its official title sponsor from the 2026 Formula 1 season, marking the first time in over a decade the team will carry a corporate naming partner.
Why it matters
This significant upgrade to their existing partnership underscores a major commitment from the American payments giant, providing McLaren with a crucial commercial boost ahead of the sweeping regulation changes in 2026. It's McLaren's first title sponsor since Vodafone departed in 2013.
The details
- New Team Name: Starting in 2026, the team will officially be known as the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team.
- Fan Initiative: Mastercard is launching "Team Priceless," a program designed to offer McLaren fans exclusive experiences. These include track hot laps and meet-and-greets with drivers 랜도 노리스 (Lando Norris) and 오스카 피아스트리 (Oscar Piastri), extending Mastercard's "Priceless" customer rewards.
- Leadership Commentary:
- McLaren CEO 자크 브라운 (Zak Brown) emphasized the deal's fan-centric nature, stating it will "bring them even closer to the team, and offer incredible experiences." He highlighted Mastercard's alignment with McLaren's passion and values.
- 라자 라자만나르 (Raja Rajamannar), Mastercard's Chief Marketing and Communication Officer, reinforced their commitment to putting fans first and embedding the brand within F1's global fanbase. He noted McLaren's representation of "innovation, precision, and performance," mirroring Mastercard's own values.
What's next
The partnership strengthens McLaren's commercial foundation and heralds a fan-focused era, setting the stage for the team's adaptation to the new Formula 1 regulations arriving in 2026.