McLaren Racing and Sega have announced a new multi-year partnership, mostly surrounding the infamously fast blue hedgehog, Sonic.
With Sega as the newly appointed official gaming partner for McLaren Racing Limited, Sonic the Hedgehog makes its return at McLaren events. This partnership will be felt both on-screen and off-screen as collaborations between the two cover both sectors.
The announcement comes as Sonic is celebrating its 2025 “Racing Around the World” campaign. This initiative celebrates the blue hedgehog in various ways, such as the Roblox Sonic Speed Simulator and the Sonic x Red Bull stunt racing trailer.
The 2025 celebration leads up to Sonic’s 35th anniversary in 2026 and the McLaren F1 Team’s 1,000th Grand Prix. The collaboration between McLaren Racing and Sega will also include a Sega takeover at McLaren Racing Live: London on July 2-3, which will focus on providing a fun event for fans.
Louise McEwen, the Chief Marketing Officer at McLaren Racing, shared thoughts on the partnership:
“We’re thrilled to welcome Sonic the Hedgehog to the McLaren Racing family. This partnership brings together two iconic names in speed, and opens up our team to a wider, younger global audience. Sonic is a character with incredible heritage and a passionate fanbase, and we are very excited to celebrate our partnership at McLaren Racing Live: London.”
The Vice President of Sega/Atlus Brand Marketing, Marcella Churchill, also shared excitement:
“The collaboration between Sonic the Hedgehog and McLaren Racing underscores our shared passion for high-speed action and racing. Racing is in the DNA of both the Sonic and McLaren brands. It’s where we began and what drives us forward. By combining Sonic’s iconic appeal with McLaren, we’re creating a partnership that should excite fans everywhere. This partnership is about celebrating our shared values, and we can’t wait to share this collaboration and the future activations to come with fans.”
This isn’t the first time that Sonic has popped up in McLaren’s history. At the 1993 European Grand Prix, which is also known as the Sonic Grand Prix, McLaren’s F1 Team driver Ayrton Senna won a Sonic the Hedgehog trophy.
Sonic, which had a very successful Sonic X Shadow Generations launch last year, has a lot in store for the rest of the year. The McLaren Racing announcement is yet another exciting one that was under Sega’s belt.
