McLaren to introduce revolutionary Kindle technology in their 2023 cars to fit 40+ sponsors
McLaren has a unique idea to contain all their sponsors on their cars.
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McLaren (source: Twitter )
The McLaren Formula One team has a long list of sponsors. They had to get creative to accommodate all of them on their MCL60. The team turned to Kindle technology. The new technology implemented allows them to change the sponsors every 45 seconds throughout the race. This is currently on their car for the 2023 season.
However, the panel weighs 190 grams and is heavier than the carbon fiber it replaces. The margin between the panel weight and the carbon fiber is unlikely to be drastic. The team will not want to compromise the performance of the car by adding extra weight. Hence, it is a well-calculated move after considering several options. Every gram in a Formula One car is significant in terms of performance.
McLaren is testing the technology on the helmets as well. The advertisers will be interested in paying more if the team performs better than where they stand at the moment. Formula One is a business whose teams spend millions of dollars to develop their car and enhance their performance. This is where the sponsorships come into play, they help the teams with these costs.
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McLaren is running digital ads on their car
The McLaren team has 40-plus sponsors. Their primary sponsors are Android, Chrome, and a cryptocurrency exchange OKX. McLaren’s other partners are Darktrace, Cisco, DPWORLD, Dell Technologies, British American Tobacco, Arrow Electronics, Jack Daniels, VMWARE, Goldman Sachs, Alteryx Hilton, Unilever, Smartsheet, Dewalt, Cadence, Splunk, Tezos, Coca-Cola, Webex, Deloitte, Partly Responsible, FxPro, CNBC, Richard Mille, Tumi, Medallia, K-SWISS, NEW ERA, Castore, Easypost, Gopuff, Immersivelabs, Sikkens, Sparco, FAI Aviation Group, Pirelli, Ashurst, Stratasys, Kaust, Logitech and Sungod.
Sponsors make investments in the team. McLaren needs to contain all these names in their car and cannot do with just stickers. Hence they have deployed this innovative measure. The Kindle technology will display the sponsors’ names in rotation over the course of the race. This way, there will be enough publicity for all the companies.
McLaren’s Kindle technology was tested on the car last season. Fortunately for them, it was a success. It is a flexible plastic screen and is perfectly safe to use. The primary goal of the display is to allow the team to provide ample time for its sponsors. The team and its partners can now be satisfied. This will not affect the performance of the car in any way.
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Justin P Joy
(4875 Articles Published)