Q: What just happened?

Mastercard has now expanded its partnership with Formula1 team McLaren, becoming the team’s Title Partner. Going forward from 2026, the team will be referred to as “McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team” in a deal estimated by Ampere at around $65-75m per year, marking McLaren’s first naming rights partner in over a decade. Mastercard previously joined McLaren as a Principal Partner ahead of the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix but is now investing in McLaren’s future in a more significant fashion.

Q: Why would McLaren go for a Title Sponsor?

Having been in financial trouble due to struggles on the track and with their brand positioning in the past decade, McLaren has vastly improved its commercial strategy in the past two seasons - in line with improved on-track performance, that culminated in winning the 2024 Constructors Championship. This provided the perfect opportunity for McLaren to join the rest of the teams in F1 with a Title Sponsorship deal. Even yet-to-debut Audi (replacing Sauber) has already announced a deal with Revolut for its own Title Partner and Naming Rights.

The deal ties in with McLaren’s strategy of maximizing the number of its partners, especially at a premium level – allowing it to quickly raise its yearly revenue. Deals with OKX and Google, as with the currently on-going Mastercard deal, are all valued in the mid-to-low eight figures, a distinct approach compared to rivals more focused on a smaller number of higher-value deals.  This expansion will aid in McLaren nearing $300m in sponsorship income in 2026 and put it in the same ballpark as top earning teams in F1 such as Ferrari and Red Bull.

Q: Why has Mastercard decided to invest now, and why McLaren?

Mastercard’s direct competitors, Visa and AMEX (American Express), each have significant presence both in Formula One, and additionally across wider sport. Visa has shared title partnership with Cash App for the Racing Bulls – and AMEX expanded its regional deal with F1 to become a global partner last season. In a wider context, sponsorship deals with the NBA and the FIFA World Cup help the two respective brands to have strong stakes in the sports arena - in competition with Mastercard which has a major deal with UEFA for the Champions League.

These credit card companies are continually among the strongest and most effective brands at activating across sports and events. Whether it is preferred entrances at events for AMEX holders, or cheaper concessions for Mastercard users - the competition for top events and teams is fierce due to the ability for these brands to leverage their position to generate additional benefits for its cardholders.

The new McLaren deal provides Mastercard with access to potential new customers among F1’s increasing viewership, particularly those who fall into the AB socio-economic category (i.e the two wealthiest consumer groups). This group accounts for 45% of F1 fans, compared to 36% among average audiences, with the number rising to 48% among McLaren fans. This provides Mastercard with an affluent audience to target, particularly as a quarter of McLaren fans are in the market for a new credit card in the next 12 months. 

This new deal between McLaren and Mastercard therefore aligns well, not only with their alliterative names, but also in the positioning of their brands – in what looks like one of the most significant sponsorship deals in recent F1 history.