McLaren adds T-Mobile deal to network of partnerships

McLaren has added another name to its burgeoning book of commercial partners after announcing a deal with T-Mobile.

As well as leading the way in the constructors’ championship, McLaren also boasts more partnerships than any other team on the Formula 1 grid.

T-Mobile has signed on as an official partner but will also be the team’s exclusive 5G partner in the US – starting at the weekend’s United States Grand Prix in Austin.

For McLaren, that means it can leverage T-Mobile’s 5G network during races in America, with Miami and Las Vegas also on the F1 calendar.

T-Mobile’s branding will be included on the cars of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in both Austin and Vegas this year and moving forwards.

Elsewhere, McLaren’s communication headsets will also be branded with the T-Mobile insignia as part of the agreement.

“We are delighted to welcome T-Mobile to the McLaren Racing family,” said McLaren’s co-chief commercial officer Matt Dennington.

“As our US fan base continues to grow, it is great to be able to work with more partners that will help us increase our presence and ability to activate with our fans in these regions.”

McLaren had 52 partners when the 2024 season began, 30 of which are based in the United States.

The sheer number of deals struck with American companies has grown across the sport since Liberty Media completed its takeover of F1 in 2016.

At the start of the current season, across all teams on the grid, 46.8% of all partners are American, more than doubling the amount prior to Liberty’s involvement.

McLaren has struck plenty of deals of differing lengths to maximise their value, which is only increasing alongside the squad’s performances on the track.

The team leads the way in the race for the constructors’ title and Lando Norris is still in the hunt for the drivers’ championship.

Norris sits 52 points behind leader and defending champion Max Verstappen heading to Austin, having won the previous grand prix in Singapore in commanding fashion.