McLaren announces major Intel partnership as tech giant returns to F1

Computing giant Intel is returning to Formula 1 after nearly 20 years with a new partnership with McLaren Racing. 

The Woking outfit announced the new multi-year agreement this week with Intel joining as the official compute partner, providing Intel Xeon and Intel Core Ultra processors to support McLaren's workload.

In addition to returning to F1, Intel's logos will feature on one Arrow McLaren IndyCar entry during the 2026 Freedom 250 in Washington DC, before expanding to the legendary Indianapolis 500 from the 2027 season onwards.

The tech firm will also become an official partner of the McLaren F1 Sim Racing Team, with its branding placed on the on-stage simulator rigs for the F1 Sim Racing World Championship this month and a full virtual livery planned for 2027.

"Performance in IndyCar and Formula 1 racing is driven by technology, and partnering with Intel strengthens our ability to innovate at scale," McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said.

"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, McLaren

Photo by: Kym Illman / Getty Images

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan added: "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."

The new partnership means that the technology giant will return to F1 after nearly 20 years out of the championship, having previously been a partner of the BMW Sauber F1 team in the 2000s.