McLaren to run Chrome wheels after agreeing sponsorship deal with Google

McLaren will sport Chrome wheel covers and the Android logo on their car as a result of the new deal.

McLaren have signed a new sponsorship agreement with Google that sees the Android name appear on the MCL36 as well as the arrival of Chrome wheels.

The Woking-based team have been shuffling sponsors around on their livery in recent weeks to make room for the new arrival, and the car will look a little different to the one that was unveiled last month.

The deal has been made from a logistical standpoint “to support the drivers and team with the goal of improving on-track performance”.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown will still be using Mercedes and not search engines, but he is pleased to welcome the huge brand to the team.

“We are absolutely delighted and proud to welcome Google to the McLaren Racing family,” he said in a statement.

“Google is a global leader in technology and has been a ground-breaking innovator in connecting people around the world.

“By integrating platforms like Android and Chrome across our operations, our team will be better supported to focus on driving performance.”

“We’re looking forward to an exciting partnership that spans across F1 and Extreme E.”

As an extension of the partnership, McLaren are making use of the wheel covers re-introduced under the new technical regulations, and they have put a chrome livery over them with the colours reflecting the Google Chrome Browser logo.

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We’re off to the races in our latest partnership See you on the track, @McLarenF1!” Chrome tweeted.

The new names will be on the car at this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix that kicks off the 2022 season, and McLaren look set to compete with their full compliment of Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, with the Australian having recovered from COVID-19.

Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel has also since tested positive, and he will be replaced in the opening round of the season by Nico Hulkenberg.