McLaren have had a monstrous rise up the Constructors’ Championship order this year. Having started the year with a car that was well off the pace, they finished 4th, beating out Aston Martin and being behind Ferrari. Some say that for next season, McLaren seem to be a team to be reckoned with, based on their recent form. It looks like their hunt for a Constructors’ title came a little early this year, as they nabbed a key sponsor from one of their competitors, which has recent champion successes.
Photo Credit: McLaren Racing
After years of a close association with Mercedes, and Lewis Hamilton in particular, Monster Energy, an energy drink and big promoter within motorsport, have decided to partner with McLaren for the 2024 season and beyond. This announcement, seemingly to the shock of Mercedes, thus made the team announce that they were ending their partnership with the company.
Zak Brown said in a statement that he is delighted to see Monster, which has been known for extreme sports, partner with his team, one which is steeped in history.
Brown said, “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.”
Rodney Sacks, Chairman and Co-CEO, Monster Energy Company, said:
“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.”
While this seems exciting for McLaren and for Monster, this will also be exciting for us viewers and lovers of the sport. Monster have a habit of making their partner drivers do some amazing social media stunts. In fact, during the leadup to the Japanese Grand Prix this year, Mick Schumacher drove a Mercedes through Tokyo, replicating famous scenes from the Fast and Furious saga of movies.
If that is just the beginning of the sort of marketing tactics that the McLaren team can concoct with two drivers that are far more open to social media collaboration like Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Norris certainly has a great history with social media and partner collaborations, and Piastri is known for his dry wit and entertaining tweets.
However, the energy drinks brand is expected to maintain their relationship with Lewis Hamilton.
Photo Credit: McLaren Racing
