McLaren Racing to build NFT fan experience platform on energy-efficient blockchain network
McLaren Racing has selected Tezos, the world’s most advanced blockchain, to become the team’s Official Technical Partner in a new multi-year technical partnership across Formula 1, INDYCAR and esports. McLaren will use the energy efficient and upgradeable Tezos network to create a non-fungible token (NFT) platform with fan experience at the heart.
Tezos, an open source blockchain for assets and applications, is a continuously evolving blockchain that upgrades itself through efficient on-chain governance. McLaren will build a dedicated platform that brings its illustrious racing heritage and renowned driver line-ups across its multiple teams to offer an unrivalled NFT fan experience.
For Tezos and McLaren, sustainability through innovation is key. Embracing clean NFTs and energy-efficient networks ensures that the impact of this new medium to share creative expression is not offset by unnecessarily high energy consumption. Unlike traditional Proof of Work blockchains, Tezos’s pioneering Proof of Stake mechanism is a significantly more energy-efficient approach to securing its network, using two million times less energy than Proof of Work networks like Bitcoin and Ethereum. This allows Tezos to operate cleanly, with minimal energy consumption and a negligible carbon footprint.
As part of the partnership, the Tezos brand will be represented across the McLaren Formula 1 and Arrow McLaren SP teams, including on the race suits of McLaren F1 drivers Lando Norris and Daniel Riccardo, and AMSP drivers Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist. Tezos will also be presenting partner of the McLaren Shadow esports team.
Lindsey Eckhouse, Director, Licensing, ecommerce and esports, McLaren Racing, said:
“Tezos and McLaren Racing uniting to create a unique fan-focused NFT platform is an innovative step in an exciting and rapidly developing industry. At McLaren we are known for putting fans at the heart of everything we do, and this is another partnership which allows us to enter a space where fans can own key pieces of our team. We are looking forward to launching the platform with Tezos to create bespoke NFTs with our Formula 1, INDYCAR and esports teams.”
Hubertus Thonhauser, Chair, Tezos Foundation, said:
“McLaren Racing has one of the longest and most illustrious legacies in racing, and we are excited that they have chosen to bring it to the Tezos blockchain through their NFT Fan engagement platform. The concept of blockchain is evolving, becoming faster, more secure, and more efficient. This requires a blockchain that can keep up with this rapid pace of innovation. As brands everywhere look to engage with their fans in new ways, Tezos, the original and fastest evolving blockchain, remains at the forefront of innovation, providing real-world solutions in a thriving and fast growing ecosystem.”
McLaren
Tim Bampton Chief Communications Officer, McLaren Racing
tim.bampton@mclaren.com / +44 (0) 7468 714614
Siobhan Filsell Communications Manager, McLaren Racing
siobhan.filsell@mclaren.com / +44 (0) 7879 890 260
Curtis Nice McLaren Racing Communications Executive
curtis.nice@mclaren.com / +44 (0) 7765 742 300
Tezos
Reid Yager BlokHaus Global Director Communications
reid.yager@blokhaus.io
McLaren Racing
McLaren Racing was founded in 1963 by New Zealand racing driver Bruce McLaren, and since its first Formula One race in 1966, McLaren has won 20 Formula One world championships and more than 180 Formula One Grand Prix first places. Since its first F1 race in 1966, McLaren has won the F1 World Championship 20 times and the F1 Grand Prix more than 180 times. McLaren Racing currently competes in Formula One worldwide and INDYCAR in the United States.
McLaren Racing currently competes in Formula 1 worldwide and INDYCAR in the U.S. In the 2021 series, the team will compete in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship with Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, and in the INDYCAR series with Arrow McLaren SP drivers Pato O'Ward and Felix Rosenqvist. Starting in 2022, McLaren Racing will enter this new category of motorsport with a team in Extreme E, an innovative, fully evangelistic off-road racing series.
Tezos
Tezos is smart money that redefines what it means to hold and exchange value in a digitally connected world. A proven, self-upgradable, energy-efficient blockchain, Tezos can seamlessly implement future innovations without disrupting the current network. For more information, please visit tezos.com.