McLaren F1 confirm eye-catching name change ahead of 2026 season

McLaren have revealed they will undergo a name transformation from next season, officially becoming the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 team. Chief executive Zak Brown unveiled the fresh title partnership at a gathering in Amsterdam, just days before Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri return to their championship fight.

Both Brown and Mastercard's chief marketing and communications officer Raja Rajamannar described the decision as a "no-brainer" for the two brands, which have been working together for more than a year, to deepen their partnership commitment.

Brown declared that McLaren boasts the "best partner ecosystem in sport" and praised his two "unbelievable" drivers, who both occupy the summit of the drivers' championship, for transforming the Papayas into a squad with "no shortage of people willing to do business".

The rebrand will take effect before the 2026 season, when McLaren are broadly tipped to be defending titleholders on both fronts, reports the Express. Piastri holds a nine-point advantage over Norris whilst the duo sit nearly 100 points ahead of third-placed Max Verstappen.

McLaren command the constructors' championship with a 299-point cushion. British ace Norris insisted the rebrand elevates McLaren's alliance with Mastercard "to another level" and acknowledged the firm for "making it fun" for the drivers whilst heaping praise on their fan engagement efforts.

Piastri, meanwhile, insisted that McLaren and Mastercard "put fans first" and that his role would not be possible without the backing of supporters from the Woking outfit.

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Fan interaction dominated conversations at the McLaren x Mastercard gathering in Amsterdam, where hundreds of enthusiasts packed the streets wearing vibrant orange, creating such a deafening roar when the drivers appeared that their cheers echoed throughout the press conference venue at Westergasfabriek.

Norris, Piastri and Brown all praised 'Team Priceless' – a fresh scheme aimed at bringing supporters nearer to the excitement. The championship leader was even informed he had been scheduled to welcome 20 fans to his residence that very evening, prompting Piastri to joke it was the "first I had heard of that".

Brown said: "There is no one more important to us than our awesome fans, so I could not be more delighted to enter this next chapter in our partnership with Mastercard with a promise to our Papaya Family around the world – that we will continue to put our fans first, bring them even closer to the team, and offer incredible experiences.

"Mastercard is a fantastic partner who shares our passions and values, so to have them on board as naming partner will offer us the perfect launch pad to keep pushing on and off track, and I cannot wait to see Team Priceless come to life in 2026."