Racing
© Liauzh
McLaren Racing has signed a multi-year partnership with UK media and entertainment group Global that will cover both its Formula 1 team and its Hypercar program set to join the World Endurance Championship in 2027.
The agreement makes Global McLaren’s official race partner and official audio race partner, with one of the more unusual elements of the deal coming in F1. Global branding will appear on McLaren team radio headsets at selected race weekends, including Monaco and Silverstone, while Global Player branding will also feature on headsets used by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri on some weekends.
McLaren and Global announced the partnership live on air from the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking during Global breakfast broadcasts in the UK.
Matt Dennington, McLaren Racing co-chief commercial officer, said the deal was aimed at strengthening the team’s connection with fans. “Global shares our commitment to reaching fans in meaningful ways,” Dennington said. He added that bringing the company into “some of our most iconic race environments will add real value to how we connect with audiences throughout the season.”
Global brings a wide media footprint to the partnership. Founded in 2007 and based in London’s Leicester Square, it owns UK radio brands including Capital, Heart, Smooth, Classic FM, LBC and Radio X, and operates an outdoor advertising network with more than 250,000 sites across the UK.
Mike Gordon, Global’s chief commercial officer, described the deal as “a brilliant opportunity to put Global Player at the heart of the action on one of the world’s biggest sporting stages.” He said the two companies share “a drive for performance and precision, with a shared focus on entertaining and engaging audiences.”
The agreement also ties Global to McLaren’s next major racing project beyond F1. It will extend into the team’s WEC Hypercar entry from 2027, when McLaren is due to join the championship’s top class and compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.