Android and Chrome are coming to this year’s Formula 1 grid

The new Formula 1 season is right around the corner, and I must admit as a Formula 1 fan I’m pretty excited about the changes in the regulations this year. We also have a new reigning world champion in the face of Max Verstappen, who somewhat controversially beat Lewis Hamilton in the last lap of the last race in December 2021.

Now, Google has apparently also decided that the new Formula 1 season will be an exciting one because the tech giant has just announced a multi-year deal with one of the most successful F1 teams on the grid - McLaren.

The major partnership will bring the Android logo on the engine cover of both McLaren MCL36 Formula 1 cars (Go Lando!), and also appear on the liveries of the McLaren MX Extreme E Team from 2022 onward.

Another pretty cool marketing idea is the paint job on the rims of the new McLaren Formula 1 cars. They’re painted in such a way that when at speed the car shows the four colors of the Chrome logo on the wheels!

Furthermore, the Android and Chrome logos will find their place on the helmets and race suits of McLaren Formula 1 drivers Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo as well.

“We are absolutely delighted and proud to welcome Google to the McLaren Racing family. Google is a global leader in technology and has been a ground-breaking innovator in connecting people around the world. By integrating platforms like Android and Chrome across our operations, our team will be better supported to focus on driving performance. We’re looking forward to an exciting partnership that spans across Formula 1 and Extreme E,” said McLaren CEO Zack Brown in a statement.

It’s not all purely aesthetic either - the official press release also states that “Throughout the season, McLaren will use 5G-enabled Android devices and Chrome browser across its operations during practice sessions, qualifying and races.”

McLaren fans should hope for fewer “It’s dead, Jim” moments in Chrome this year, and keep their fingers crossed this switch won’t affect racing performance in any negative way (the money from Google would be a nice addition, though, as McLaren has been lacking big sponsors for the past couple of years).

It’s not clear what kind of Android 5G devices will be present in McLaren garage and around the paddock but if we were to make an educated guess, we would definitely say Google Pixel phones.

Meanwhile, Google branding will also be visible on the Number 58 McLaren MX Extreme E race car, and on the race suits of McLaren MX Extreme E drivers Emma Gilmour and Tanner Foust from the 2022 Island X Prix.

Our take

This move by Google is not so surprising after all, and choosing McLaren as a partner is also quite logical. First of all, Formula 1 is starting to ramp up a serious fanbase in the States, thanks to the effort put in by the US owners Liberty Media.

The Netflix series “Drive to Survive” has been a hit in the past couple of years, and the 4th season of the show just premiered on the streaming service. There’s also another subtle detail that might’ve played a role in Google choosing McLaren (other than the car being a title contender, which no one knows at this point).