In a notable shift within Formula 1 sponsorships, McLaren has successfully secured a deal with Monster Energy, a move that sees the energy drinks brand parting ways with Mercedes after a 14-year partnership.
Monster Energy has embarked on a “multi-year” partnership with McLaren, marking a significant shift in the Formula 1 sponsorship landscape. This collaboration will prominently feature the iconic ‘M’ logo across various McLaren team elements, including drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri’s helmets, race suits, and caps, as well as on branded drinks bottles, a space previously associated with Coca-Cola, starting from the 2024 season.
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Zak Brown, the CEO of McLaren Racing, has leveraged his extensive background in commercial and marketing to attract numerous new sponsors, such as Google, Dell, and British American Tobacco (Velo). This has been propelled by Formula 1’s surge in popularity, partly due to Netflix’s coverage. The partnership with Monster Energy is particularly notable as it signifies the brand’s shift from its long-standing association with the Mercedes team.
During an era of dominance by Mercedes, which includes eight constructors’ championships and their more recent challenges with ground effect cars, the ‘M’ badge has been a constant on the helmet and race suit collar of Lewis Hamilton and his teammates, including Nico Rosberg and George Russell.
Hamilton maintains a personal sponsorship arrangement with Monster, endorsing a line of zero-sugar beverages. Despite Monster’s shift in teams, this individual partnership is expected to continue.
Rodney Sacks, the chair and co-CEO of Monster Energy, commented on the new partnership, highlighting, “We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the Mercedes Formula 1 team, and [motorsport boss] Toto Wolf in particular, for a partnership that has spanned well over a decade and seen us celebrate some wonderful success together. We wish the team well for their upcoming championship campaigns.”
“Monster Energy is proud to start this new chapter in its F1 journey with McLaren Racing. Monster is focused on enhancing fan experiences and partnering with a world-class team and its elite drivers to share our passion with F1’s global audience. We are planning some really exciting programs with Lando and Oscar and are excited to go racing together from 2024.”
Brown added: “We are delighted to join forces with the iconic Monster Energy brand from next season onwards. Monster focuses on celebrating athletes through bold ideas and creating awesome content, so we can’t wait to explore ideas and find new ways to engage and entertain our fans.”
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