Etihad has announced a partnership with McLaren Racing where the airline will become the Official Partner of the Mastercard Formula 1 Team and the McLaren United Autosports World Endurance Championships (WEC) Hypercar Team for the 2026 season.
Etihad has been a long-time supporter of racing, and this partnership builds on that. The airline has been the title sponsor of the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix since 2009.
As part of the partnership, Etihad’s visual branding and logos will be featured across the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team race cars and their parts – the rear wing and the halo – and the McLaren United AS WEC Hypercar Team. The branding will also be printed across the McLaren Mastercard F1 Team driver helmets.
“Today, we are thrilled to team up with McLaren Racing to begin an extraordinary partnership. Formula 1 racing brings together fans from around the world in one of the most exhilarating sports, and we’re excited to see the Etihad brand across the 2026 McLaren car as it competes worldwide,” said Antonoaldo Neves, Group CEO, Etihad Airways.
The airline has also announced that it’ll be featuring the Mclaren Racing brand across its new livery for its flagship Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
“In celebration of the partnership, we will also unveil a stunning new aircraft livery designed with McLaren branding, which will fly across the fast-growing Etihad network engaging with fans around the world,” added Neves.
Apart from visual branding, the partnership will also extend to the digital and experiential realm. Both McLaren and Etihad will create experiences catering to fans over the course of the partnership.
In turn, Etihad will support the Mclaren Racing teams across multiple series across its network of racing destinations such as the UAE, Australia, China, Japan, Spain, Italy and the US.
“We’re excited to welcome Etihad Airways as an official partner. As we travel to more races around the world, working with a global airline that shares our passion for excellence is a natural fit,” said Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing. “Etihad’s commitment to delivering high‑quality experiences aligns strongly with our values, and we look forward to working closely together across both Formula 1 and WEC.”
The partnership brings together two companies that are both dedicated to innovation, ambition and curating exceptional experiences for fans and consumers.
