McLaren Racing, the Surrey, UK-based team that competes in Formula 1 and IndyCar, has become a member of the Hedera Council, the governing body of the enterprise blockchain network. The team, which secured the last two F1 team championships and last year’s driver title with Lando Norris, will hold equal voting rights alongside existing Council members. McLaren’s role includes contributing to Hedera software and services governance and actively participating in the network.
McLaren Racing Co-Chief Commercial Officer Nick Martin said the partnership reflects the team’s focus on performance and innovation beyond the racetrack. He stated that joining the Council allows McLaren to help shape the network’s development while delivering a secure and scalable fan experience globally. The move signals an effort to connect motorsport audiences with blockchain-based digital products.
McLaren has already launched free-to-mint digital collectibles on Hedera, featuring race and location-specific creative elements. Drops have taken place during the Australian Grand Prix weekend and the Chinese Grand Prix, with a third planned for the upcoming Japanese GP. The collectibles are accessible through both native Hedera wallets and Web2 social sign-on wallets, aiming to reach motorsport fans unfamiliar with Web3 as well as Hedera community members new to racing.
The partnership extends beyond digital collectibles. McLaren leadership is scheduled to participate in HederaCon on May 4 in Miami Beach, an event positioned alongside the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix. The appearance underscores the broader integration between the racing team’s calendar and Hedera’s community events.
Hedera operates through a 39-member rotating council that spans sectors including finance, energy, legal, technology, and academia. No single member holds greater voting power than any other, maintaining a flat governance structure. Last month, shipping company FedEx also joined the Council, adding to a roster that includes Google, IBM, Dell Technologies, LG, Deutsche Telekom, and video game maker Ubisoft.
Hedera’s native token, HBAR, rose more than 2% on the day of the announcement, recently trading at $0.094 according to data from CoinGecko. Despite the daily gain, the token remains approximately 83% below its all-time high of $0.569, which was reached in 2021. The McLaren partnership may draw renewed attention to the network as it continues to expand its council membership.
Originally reported by Decrypt.
