Multi-year agreement makes NTT an Official Partner of the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team from 2027, with a focus on AI adoption, security governance and global engagement.
McLaren Racing is joining forces with NTT to strengthen the role of artificial intelligence in its Formula 1 operations, with security governance and responsible adoption at the centre of the collaboration. The multi-year partnership, announced on November 10, will make NTT an Official Partner of the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team from the 2027 season.
The agreement brings together NTT’s technology expertise and McLaren’s focus on performance and innovation, with a shared ambition to help the team become the most AI-fluent outfit on the Formula 1 grid. NTT will support McLaren in advancing its AI adoption while helping strengthen the framework used to identify and manage security risks associated with the technology.
As AI becomes increasingly embedded in business and sporting operations, the partnership highlights the growing importance of governance alongside innovation. For a Formula 1 team operating in a highly competitive, data-intensive environment, the ability to use AI securely and responsibly could become an important part of its technology strategy.
“AI has enormous potential across our sport and our business, and NTT’s expertise will support us in adopting new technologies in a responsible and secure way.” — Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing
“We have a long-standing relationship with NTT and are excited to welcome them as an Official Partner of the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team, to build on the success we’ve had to date,” said Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing. He added that NTT’s expertise would help the team adopt emerging technologies responsibly and securely.
The partnership also extends beyond technology deployment. NTT will develop a global engagement programme aimed at bringing its clients and fans closer to McLaren Racing and the wider Formula 1 experience, while demonstrating how its technology capabilities can support the team both on and off the track.
For NTT, the agreement builds on a long history of involvement in motorsport. The companies have previously collaborated through NTT Communications, now NTT DOCOMO BUSINESS, and McLaren’s Formula 1 team, as well as through NTT DATA and the Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team. NTT has also supported the NTT INDYCAR SERIES as title sponsor since 2019.
“Formula 1 is a global stage where the world’s brightest minds come together to continuously push the limits of what is possible,” said Akira Shimada, President and CEO, NTT. He noted the shared emphasis on people, technology and transformation, adding that the partnership would help accelerate NTT’s global business.
The agreement signals a renewed technology relationship between the two organisations, with AI governance, innovation and international engagement forming its central pillars.
