More news on this day
McLaren Racing has announced a landmark multi-series partnership with Etihad Airways that will see the UAE flag carrier become Official Partner of both the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team and the McLaren United Autosports WEC Hypercar Team from the 2026 season, tying one of motorsport’s most storied names to one of the world’s fastest-growing airline networks.
A Strategic Alliance Spanning F1 and Endurance Racing
Confirmed on February 26, 2026, the agreement formalises Etihad Airways as an Official Partner across McLaren’s headline racing programmes, uniting the team’s grand prix operation with its World Endurance Championship Hypercar entry under a single global travel and branding strategy. The deal, framed as a multi-year commitment from the 2026 season onward, is positioned by both organisations as a long-term play rather than a short-term sponsorship cycle.
Etihad branding will feature prominently on McLaren’s 2026 MCL40 Formula 1 car, including the rear wing and halo, as well as on driver helmets, ensuring high visibility across a record-length world championship calendar. The airline’s identity will also appear on the McLaren United Autosports WEC Hypercar, extending the partnership beyond single-seater racing into top-tier endurance competition.
McLaren Racing chief executive Zak Brown said the tie-up reflects a natural alignment between a team that races on every continent and an airline connecting more than 100 destinations worldwide. For Etihad, the agreement further deepens its footprint in elite motorsport after years as title sponsor of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, while placing its brand alongside a team that has returned to the sharp end of Formula 1.
Travel Network Powering a Global Race Calendar
Central to the partnership is Etihad’s ability to support McLaren’s extensive travel requirements as the team moves personnel and freight around an increasingly demanding schedule. With the airline’s network linking the United Arab Emirates to key Formula 1 and WEC markets such as Australia, China, Japan, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy and the United States, McLaren gains a single carrier capable of underpinning much of its global logistics footprint.
Team officials highlight that the collaboration is designed to go beyond logo placement, focusing as well on operational efficiencies, tailored scheduling and premium cabin experiences for travelling team members. As Formula 1 continues to group regional races and introduce long-haul double-headers, the reliability and reach of a primary airline partner is seen as a competitive advantage in managing fatigue, turnaround times and freight flows.
For Etihad, aligning with a team that has claimed back-to-back Constructors’ Championships and a breakthrough Drivers’ crown in 2025 reinforces its image as a carrier associated with high performance and precision. The airline also gains a powerful storytelling platform around themes of speed, engineering and global connectivity, all of which mirror its own brand positioning in the premium travel market.
Multi-Series Branding, Digital Rights and Fan Experiences
The agreement grants Etihad extensive digital and experiential rights across McLaren’s portfolio, opening the door to co-created fan initiatives that span both Formula 1 and endurance racing. Supporters can expect joint campaigns built around race weekends in Etihad-served cities, as well as content that follows the team as it travels between continents during the season.
McLaren and Etihad plan to leverage their combined databases and digital channels to roll out promotions such as behind-the-scenes access, curated travel packages and on-the-ground activations at circuits. The aim is to transform standard race journeys into integrated travel experiences, giving fans opportunities to fly with the team’s airline partner to marquee events in Abu Dhabi, Melbourne, Shanghai, Suzuka, Austin and beyond.
Within the paddock, Etihad’s presence will be immediately visible on the MCL40 and in McLaren’s hospitality spaces, while in endurance racing the airline will share exposure with manufacturers and technical partners in the WEC Hypercar class. The multi-series structure reflects McLaren’s broader commercial strategy, which increasingly seeks partners willing to activate across several championships rather than isolate their investment in a single programme.
From Yas Marina to the Skies: Livery Takes Flight
In a striking extension of the partnership beyond the track, Etihad will introduce a McLaren Racing themed livery on one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft later this year. The special scheme will carry the team’s colours and branding across Etihad’s global network, effectively turning a long-haul airliner into a flying billboard for the collaboration.
The co-branded Dreamliner is expected to operate on a mix of European, Asian and North American routes, intersecting with many of the destinations on the Formula 1 and WEC calendars. For travellers, the aircraft will provide a highly visible link between race weekends they watch on television and the airline that connects them to those host cities.
Etihad’s longstanding association with the season-ending Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit gives the new aircraft livery an additional layer of symbolism. As McLaren continues to fight for titles at the circuit that closes out most seasons, the team’s branding will be present both in the skies above the UAE capital and on the grid below.
Strengthening McLaren’s Commercial Grid for 2026 and Beyond
The Etihad agreement arrives as McLaren finalises preparations for a major rule change era in Formula 1 and an expanded presence in endurance racing. It sits alongside broader multi-series partnerships, as the team increasingly offers sponsors visibility across its Formula 1, IndyCar, WEC and sim racing activities rather than siloed entry points.
Industry observers note that the airline’s backing adds another layer of stability to McLaren’s commercial platform at a time when global rights values in top-level motorsport continue to rise. With travel costs under pressure and race calendars remaining intensive, securing a flagship airline partner is viewed as both a financial and strategic win.
For travellers and motorsport fans alike, the tie-up underscores how modern Formula 1 is inseparable from international aviation. As McLaren’s orange cars and Etihad’s aircraft criss-cross the globe from 2026, their new alliance will play out not only in lap times and podiums, but also in the journeys that carry teams and supporters to circuits around the world.