Cisco has reinforced its commitment to Formula 1 after agreeing a multi-year extension of its technology partnership with the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team, expanding a collaboration that will now focus on accelerating artificial intelligence-driven innovation across the team’s racing and business operations.
The renewed agreement marks the next phase of a partnership that has evolved from deploying Cisco Webex collaboration tools into a comprehensive technology alliance spanning enterprise networking, cybersecurity, observability and AI-ready digital infrastructure. As McLaren continues to embrace data-driven decision-making, Cisco’s integrated technology portfolio will play an increasingly central role in supporting the team’s on- and off-track performance.
A significant aspect of the extension is the integration of Splunk into the partnership following Cisco’s acquisition of the observability platform. By bringing Splunk’s capabilities under the Cisco ecosystem, McLaren will benefit from a unified technology stack that combines secure connectivity, real-time data analytics, infrastructure monitoring and AI-powered insights. The partnership is designed to enable faster operational decisions, improve system resilience and optimise race weekend performance through enhanced visibility across mission-critical technology platforms.
Cisco’s solutions already underpin communications between race circuits and the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, enabling engineers to securely analyse and transfer vast amounts of data in real time. The company believes the collaboration demonstrates how resilient digital infrastructure is becoming the foundation for enterprise-scale AI adoption, with Formula 1 providing one of the world’s most demanding technology environments.
The extension was officially launched through Cisco’s “High-Speed AI: Executive Conversations” event at the McLaren Technology Centre ahead of the British Grand Prix. The event brought together executives from Cisco, McLaren Racing, Mastercard and Deloitte to discuss how organisations can move beyond AI experimentation towards enterprise-wide deployment and measurable business outcomes.
Bryan Jones, SVP of Global Revenue, Field and Partner Marketing at Cisco, said, “When a championship team like McLaren Mastercard F1 chooses to build their future on the full power of the Cisco portfolio, that validates our unified approach. Seeing our technology at the heart of their operations, there is no more powerful proof point to demonstrate to our customers that Cisco is the critical infrastructure for the AI era.”
The agreement further strengthens Cisco’s growing presence across global sport. Beyond Formula 1, the technology company recently expanded its relationship with the United States Golf Association (USGA) to support AI-powered fan experiences, is leading the digital transformation of Real Madrid‘s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and training complex, and serves as the official network equipment partner of Team USA and the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
For McLaren, the extension adds further depth to one of Formula 1’s strongest commercial portfolios. Cisco joins a blue-chip roster of global partners that includes Global, Intel, Liquid I.V., FxPro, Etihad Airways, Dell Technologies, Rubrik, Deloitte, AkzoNobel, PUMA, ONEflight, Hedera, and Schneider Electric, reflecting the team’s growing appeal to leading technology and enterprise brands.
The partnership also comes at a pivotal stage of McLaren’s 2026 Formula 1 campaign. The Woking-based outfit remains firmly in contention for the Constructors’ Championship while its driver line-up of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri continues to challenge consistently at the front of the grid. As Formula 1 becomes increasingly reliant on data, connectivity and artificial intelligence to gain competitive advantages, the expanded partnership with Cisco is expected to play a strategic role in supporting McLaren’s pursuit of both Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship success.
