Photo: McLaren
It’s been 13 years since Larry Page, former CEO of Google and Alphabet, met with some F1 officials in Monaco. That was when we first heard the search engine company might become a small part of Formula 1. Now, with the official McLaren partnership, it’s all real.
Google first signaled a particular interest in Formula 1 over four years ago with an algorithm change. In 2018 the tech giant updated its search engine to show F1 racing results with ease for those interested. Each race of the season can be seen with only important details on the first page of Google search results.
McLaren confirmed on Wednesday that Google will turn into the “official partner” of the Formula 1 team, starting with the current 2022 season. As part of the deal, the wheel covers will be changed to reflect the tech giant’s branding. This means the British racing car will have red, blue, green, and yellow added on its wheels. Moreover, McLaren will only use Android devices that are 5G capable, and the Chrome browser will become the standard across its whole operations.
Both F1 racing drivers, Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris, will wear the Android and Google branding on their helmets and suits.
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said the team is “absolutely delighted” about this new partnership and pointed out that Google is “a global leader in technology.”
A Google official has confirmed that the company’s ready to bring “more innovation to platforms” and to connect McLaren Racing with other relevant Google services.
Chrome and Android will become an important part of McLaren’s F1 activities, as the agreement specifies Google’s products have to be used during practice, qualifying, and races.
Any other financial details were not disclosed for the time being, but the deal is an important one for McLaren as it also extends to Formula E Off-Road – the racing sport known as Extreme E.
McLaren confirmed on Wednesday that Google will turn into the “official partner” of the Formula 1 team, starting with the current 2022 season. As part of the deal, the wheel covers will be changed to reflect the tech giant’s branding. This means the British racing car will have red, blue, green, and yellow added on its wheels. Moreover, McLaren will only use Android devices that are 5G capable, and the Chrome browser will become the standard across its whole operations.
Both F1 racing drivers, Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris, will wear the Android and Google branding on their helmets and suits.
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said the team is “absolutely delighted” about this new partnership and pointed out that Google is “a global leader in technology.”
A Google official has confirmed that the company’s ready to bring “more innovation to platforms” and to connect McLaren Racing with other relevant Google services.
Chrome and Android will become an important part of McLaren’s F1 activities, as the agreement specifies Google’s products have to be used during practice, qualifying, and races.
Any other financial details were not disclosed for the time being, but the deal is an important one for McLaren as it also extends to Formula E Off-Road – the racing sport known as Extreme E.
McLaren Racing announces a major multi-year partnership with @Google, featuring @Android and @GoogleChrome, as an Official Partner of the McLaren Formula 1 Team and McLaren Extreme E Team from 2022.
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) March 16, 2022
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