McLaren Racing has confirmed a new partnership with Groq, naming the U.S.-based artificial intelligence company as an official partner of the McLaren Formula 1 Team.
The agreement strengthens McLaren’s commitment to harnessing advanced technology as a performance differentiator on and off the track.
Groq will support McLaren through the integration of its custom Language Processing Unit (LPU), a purpose-built AI inference processor designed to deliver cost-efficient intelligence at speed. The technology will power decision-making across the team’s operations, providing advanced analysis, development support, and real-time insights while boosting the processing capacity required to perform efficiently during race weekends.
The collaboration underscores the rising influence of AI systems in Formula 1, where rapid analysis of telemetry, simulations, and predictive models can make the difference between victory and defeat. By leveraging Groq’s inference capabilities, McLaren aims to sharpen its race strategy, enhance car development, and refine its performance programmes away from the circuit.
Commenting on the occasion, Nick Martin, Co-Chief Commercial Officer, McLaren Racing, said, “Formula 1 is about performance under pressure, so we’re excited to begin working with Groq to help deliver inference at the speed we need to support us in our efforts to stay at the front of the grid.”
Chelsey Susin Kantor, Chief Marketing Officer, Groq, added, “McLaren and Groq share the same foundations: speed, precision, and the efficiency needed to win. We’re proud to deliver the high-performance, low-cost compute that fuels McLaren on the track and beyond.”
The deal aligns McLaren with a growing number of F1 teams adopting advanced AI tools, reflecting the sport’s evolution into a testbed for cutting-edge technologies. It also adds to McLaren’s expanding roster of commercial and technology partners, which already includes Motul, Mastercard, Freshworks, Sega, Allwyn, Greene Tweed, Alteryx, Medallia, Salesforce, Smartsheet, Stanley Black & Decker, and Okta.
The announcement comes at a pivotal moment in McLaren’s season. The Papaya team currently leads the Constructors’ Championship heading into the final seven rounds of the campaign, with drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri firmly in contention for the Drivers’ title. As the team prepares for the Singapore Grand Prix, the partnership with Groq provides another boost to McLaren’s drive for success in 2025.
