Intel and McLaren Racing Announce Strategic AI and Compute Partnership

Intel Corporation and McLaren Racing have entered into a multi-year strategic partnership, designating Intel as the Official Compute Partner for the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team, the Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team, and the McLaren F1 Sim Racing Team. The collaboration is designed to integrate advanced computing for artificial intelligence and high-performance architectures into the operations of the racing teams.

The agreement combines Intel’s semiconductor and platform engineering with McLaren’s racing expertise to support performance-critical workloads. Under the terms of the partnership, Intel Xeon and Intel Core Ultra processors will be utilized for several high-intensity technical tasks, including vehicle-dynamics simulation, aerodynamic analysis, computational fluid dynamics, and race strategy analytics.

These computing resources will also power the real-time decision systems that link the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking to race garages across the global calendar. The partnership aims to address the massive volumes of data generated by IndyCar and Formula 1, including simulation and telemetry, where millisecond differences can impact race outcomes.

Technical Deployment and AI Integration

Intel will provide a secure and scalable compute foundation to help McLaren translate data into actionable insights. This infrastructure will include high-performance CPUs capable of supporting data-intensive AI workloads, diverse software platforms, and low-latency edge computing.

The deployment of Intel technologies within McLaren Racing’s operations will focus on three primary areas:

• The use of AI platforms to accelerate predictive modeling and design cycles.
• The application of advanced computing to power digital twins, aerodynamics, and simulation.
• The implementation of trackside edge computing to facilitate race-day decision-making and real-time analytics.

The two organizations intend to co-engineer solutions aimed at improving overall efficiency, sustainability, and performance.

Formula 1 racing and IndyCar are some of the ultimate proving grounds for high-performance computing. Intel is proud to be McLaren Racing’s compute partner, and to be part of a team that thrives on precision, speed, and innovation. Together, Intel and McLaren will push the boundaries of what’s possible, transforming data into competitive advantage at every turn.

Lip-Bu Tan, Intel CEO

Performance in IndyCar and Formula 1 racing is driven by technology, and partnering with Intel strengthens our ability to innovate at scale. Intel has already been an important part of our technology ecosystem, and their leadership in computing will play a critical role in how we design, build, and race our cars. We’re excited to deepen this relationship even further.

Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing

Branding and Implementation Timeline

The partnership includes a significant branding component across McLaren’s various racing platforms. Intel branding will first appear on the McLaren Mastercard F1 Team cars starting with the Montreal race following the May 14, 2026, announcement.

For the Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team, Intel branding will be featured on the cars during the 2026 Freedom 250 in Washington, D.C., and will continue through the Indy 500 race in 2027. Intel branding will be integrated into the virtual McLaren F1 Sim Racing Team car and the on-stage simulator starting in the following season.

Organizational Context

McLaren Racing, founded in 1963 by driver Bruce McLaren, has a history that includes 23 Formula 1 world championships and over 200 Formula 1 Grands Prix. The organization has also won the Indianapolis 500 three times and the Le Mans 24 Hours during its first attempt.

The team currently competes in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship with drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with drivers Pato O’Ward, Nolan Siegel, and Christina Lundgaard. McLaren also participates in the F1 Academy with Driver Development Programme members Ella Stevens and Ella Lloyd, as well as the F1 Sim Racing World Championship.

Beyond competition, McLaren is a signatory to the UN Sports for Climate Action Commitment and has committed to achieving net zero by 2040.

Intel Corporation designs and manufactures advanced semiconductors used to power modern computing. The company’s involvement with McLaren reflects a broader trend in Formula 1 where deep technology partnerships are used as competitive differentiators to integrate infrastructure from the factory to the track.