McLaren Chooses Intel to Beat Rivals on Track: The Move That Could Change the Championship's Fate
Intel and McLaren Racing
Intel and McLaren Racing have announced a multi-year strategic agreement that formally designates Intel as the Official Compute Partner of the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team, the Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team, and the McLaren F1 Sim Racing Team. The agreement covers the entire computing infrastructure used in the race operations and technical development of the British motorsport group.
On a technical level, the collaboration includes the use of Xeon and Core Ultra processors to support the most critical workloads in terms of computational performance: computational fluid dynamics (CFD), aerodynamic analysis, vehicle dynamics simulation, race strategy analysis, and real-time decision-making systems. The latter are responsible for the continuous connection between the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking and the garages at each circuit on the global calendar.
Formula 1 and IndyCar are disciplines characterized by large volumes of data and minimized operational latencies. Telemetry, pre-race simulation, and real-time strategic analysis are areas where the difference between a correct choice and a suboptimal one is measured in fractions of a second. The architecture proposed by Intel is structured across three distinct levels: edge computing on site for immediate analysis during sessions, high-performance computing for aerodynamic modeling and digital twins, and AI platforms to accelerate design cycles and predictive modeling.
The stated objective is to transform raw data into competitive advantage through a scalable and secure computational foundation that integrates high-performance CPUs for AI-intensive workloads, low-latency edge computing, and a heterogeneous software ecosystem.
"Formula 1 and IndyCar represent some of the ultimate test beds for high-performance computing. Intel is proud to be McLaren Racing's computing partner and to be part of a team that thrives on precision, speed, and innovation," said Lip-Bu Tan, CEO of Intel.
"Performance in IndyCar and Formula 1 is driven by technology, and the partnership with Intel strengthens our ability to innovate at scale. Their leadership in computing will play a critical role in how we design, build, and race our cars," said Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing.
On the visibility front, Intel branding will appear on the cars of the McLaren Mastercard F1 Team starting from the Canadian Grand Prix, scheduled for next weekend. The Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team's liveries will feature the Intel logo at the Freedom 250 in Washington D.C. during this season and at the 2027 edition of the Indianapolis 500. Starting from the following season, the branding will also be present on the virtual car of the McLaren F1 Sim Racing Team and on stage simulators.