MCLAREN RACING SIGNS NTT AS OFFICIAL F1 PARTNER FROM 2027

McLaren Racing has signed NTT as an official partner of the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team from the 2027 season. The multi-year deal focuses on artificial intelligence and cybersecurity governance, aiming to make McLaren what both organisations call the most AI-fluent team on the grid. McLaren Racing chief executive Zak Brown said the team has "a long-standing relationship with NTT" and would "build on the success we've had to date." Brown said NTT's expertise would "support us in adopting new technologies in a responsible and secure way." Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

A central part of the partnership will be developing frameworks to govern security risks created by artificial intelligence across McLaren's operations. The deal extends an existing relationship: NTT Communications previously worked with McLaren's Formula 1 team, NTT DATA partners Arrow McLaren in IndyCar, and NTT has sponsored the IndyCar Series since 2019. The partnership will also include global client and fan programmes, giving NTT a platform to engage with McLaren's enterprise clients and international fanbase. Both organisations say they will explore further business opportunities by combining their respective customer networks.

NTT chief executive Akira Shimada said the company was "delighted to announce this new partnership with McLaren Racing, building on our strong and trusted relationship over many years." Shimada described Formula 1 as "a global stage where the world's brightest minds come together to continuously push the limits of what is possible." The announcement does not identify a new car-performance system, instead describing how artificial intelligence will be adopted across McLaren's racing and business operations. Both organisations describe the relationship as part of a broader shift towards AI adoption in Formula 1.