McLaren Racing and Global, the Media & Entertainment group, today announced a new partnership that will see Global join the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team and McLaren Hypercar Team as an Official Race Partner and Official Audio Race Partner from the 2026 season onwards.
The news was revealed live on air as Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden, and Capital Breakfast with Jordan North, Chris Stark and Siân Welby, visited the McLaren Technology Centre.
As part of the multi-year agreement, Global branding will feature across team radio headsets during F1 race-week activity at Monaco, Silverstone and other key European races. The partnership brings together two organisations united by performance, precision and the ability to reach audiences at scale.
On selected F1 race weekends, Global Player branding will feature on race-team headsets worn by McLaren personnel and team drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Branding will also extend across digital assets, delivering prominent visibility for Global across McLaren’s global fanbase.
Matt Dennington, Co-Chief Commercial Officer, McLaren Racing, said: “Global shares our commitment to reaching fans in meaningful ways. Bringing them into some of our most iconic race environments will add real value to how we connect with audiences throughout the season. We look forward to working closely with the Global team across the selected races.”
Mike Gordon, Chief Commercial Officer, Global said: “Partnering with McLaren Racing as Official Race Partner and Official Audio Race Partner is a brilliant opportunity to put Global Player at the heart of the action on one of the world’s biggest sporting stages. Global and McLaren both have a drive for performance and precision, with a shared focus on entertaining and engaging audiences. We’re excited to keep race fans updated on Global Player, across our radio brands and our billboard network.”
-ENDS-
About McLaren Racing
McLaren Racing was founded by racing driver Bruce McLaren in 1963. The team entered its first Formula 1 race in 1966. McLaren has since won 21 Formula 1 world championships, 198 Formula 1 Grands Prix, the Indianapolis 500 three times, and the Le Mans 24 Hours at its first attempt.
McLaren Racing competes across five racing series. The team competes in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship with McLaren F1 drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with Arrow McLaren drivers Pato O’Ward, Nolan Siegel and Christian Lundgaard, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship as the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team with drivers Sam Bird and Taylor Barnard, and F1 Academy with Driver Development programme member Ella Lloyd. The team also competes in the F1 Sim Racing Championship as McLaren Shadow.
McLaren is a champion for sustainability in the sport and a signatory to the UN Sports for Climate Action Commitment. It is committed to achieving net zero by 2040 and fostering a diverse and inclusive culture in the motorsport industry.
McLaren Racing – Official Website
About Global
Global is one of the world’s leading Media & Entertainment groups. With a huge weekly reach, it is the UK and Europe’s largest Radio & Outdoor company.
Global is home to respected, national, market-leading media brands including Capital, Heart, Classic FM, LBC, Global’s Newsroom, Smooth, Radio X, Capital XTRA and Gold Radio.
Global Player, the official app for all our brands, is at the core of Global’s content, allowing listeners to enjoy all of Global’s brand content, both audio and video, as well as award-winning podcasts, and expertly-curated playlists, in one place in app, web and smart speakers.
With an extensive and diverse portfolio, Global is also the leading Outdoor company in the UK & one of the largest in Europe with over 235,000 sites reaching 95% of the UK population.
Global Studios, which includes podcast shows like The News Agents, The Sports Agents, My Therapist Ghosted Me, Up To Speed, and the ‘Unmissables’ strand of narrative podcasts, as well as next generation digital media businesses like The Fellas Studios and The Overlap, is the ultimate one-stop-shop for podcast creators, with best-in-class video and audio facilities, seamless distribution across all major platforms, and the marketing power of Global’s radio, digital and outdoor network.
On-air, on Global Player and with our outdoor platforms combined, Global reaches 51 million individuals across the UK every week, including 29 million on the radio alone.
Global created and operates DAX, the market leader in digital audio advertising. Through its proprietary technology, DAX connects advertisers with an audience of more than 130 million people worldwide, inserting targeted advertising into music streaming services, connected radio listening and podcasts, and operates a pioneering platform in programmatic outdoor advertising.
The company headquarters is in London’s iconic Leicester Square. Ashley Tabor-King CBE is Founder & Executive President, Simon Pitts is Group CEO, Stephen Miron is Chair and James Rea is Chief Content Officer. Ashley Tabor-King created Global in 2007.
Source: RAJAR / Ipsos-MORI / RSMB Q1 2026
