McLaren announced on Sunday (17) a new long-term partnership involving its operations in Formula 1 and the World Endurance Championship. The agreement was closed with Global, a British media and entertainment group, which becomes the team’s official race partner and official audio partner.
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The announcement was made live during the company’s radio programs in the United Kingdom. Presenters of the ‘Heart Breakfast’ and ‘Capital Breakfast’ programs participated directly from the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking to formalize the partnership.
Global, founded in 2007 and based in London, is currently one of the largest commercial radio companies in Europe. The group controls several popular brands in the UK, including Capital, Heart, Smooth, Classic FM, LBC, and Radio X, as well as operating an extensive outdoor advertising network with more than 250,000 spaces across the country.
This partnership foresees the presence of the Global brand on the radio headsets used by the team during selected Formula 1 weekends. Activations will begin at important stages of the European calendar, including the Monaco and British GPs.
In addition to exposure on the equipment used by team members, the Global Player brand will also appear on the headsets used by drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in some races of the season. Global Player is the company’s digital platform, responsible for live broadcasts of the group’s radios, podcasts, playlists, and on-demand content.
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The agreement also includes McLaren’s future Hypercar program in the World Endurance Championship. The team’s debut in the WEC’s main category is scheduled for 2027, including participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Matt Dennington, McLaren Racing’s co-commercial director, highlighted the importance of the partnership to expand the connection with the audience: “Global shares our commitment to reaching fans in meaningful ways. Having them in some of our most iconic racing environments will add real value to how we connect with the audience during the season,” he said.
Global’s commercial director, Mike Gordon, also celebrated the agreement with the British team: “Partnering with McLaren Racing as an official race and audio partner is a brilliant opportunity to put Global Player at the center of the action on one of the biggest sports stages in the world,” he stated.
According to Gordon, the two brands share similar values related to performance and precision: “Global and McLaren have a common pursuit of performance and precision, as well as a focus on entertaining and engaging the audience. We are excited to keep fans updated through Global Player, our radios, and our outdoor network,” he added.
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