- NEOM McLaren Formula E Team’s world first AI designed livery* was developed in a collaboration between NEOM and McLaren Racing
- The special livery will appear on the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team race cars at the London E-Prix as part of the celebration of McLaren’s 60th anniversary
- The design is inspired by visions of the future provided by members of NEOM’s Graduate Program and the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team drivers
The NEOM McLaren Formula E Team today unveiled a world first motorsport livery designed using generative artificial intelligence (AI), to celebrate McLaren Racing’s 60th anniversary year at this weekend’s London E-Prix.
Developed in collaboration between NEOM and McLaren Racing, the livery features artwork built on visions of the future provided by drivers René Rast and Jake Hughes, as well as four members from NEOM’s Graduate Development Program. Each contributor provided their personal vision, which were combined in an end-to-end AI process to produce the livery. First, the visions were processed by a text AI to create a series of prompts. Next, the prompts were used to create an individual artwork for each vision using text-to-image AI. Finally, the six visuals were combined into one artwork using image-to-image AI, before being enhanced to create the high-resolution graphics that McLaren Racing designers mapped onto the car.
The young Saudi NEOM Graduates, central to the design process, will join the NEOM McLaren Electric Talent Programme later this year on a twelve-month development program with the team. It is part of an ongoing initiative that will welcome a number of Saudi graduates to the team over the next few years, with the aim of developing Saudi talent through experience within a world-renowned high-performance organization.
Nadhmi Al-Nasr, CEO of NEOM, said: “The NEOM McLaren Formula E Team partnership supports various NEOM commitments, from driving sustainable solutions and nurturing Saudi talent through development opportunities, to delivering new technology to the world. We have leveraged creative and innovative technology to create the AI-generated livery to celebrate a milestone in McLaren’s history through visions of the future.”
Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, said: “We are delighted to work with NEOM on the creation of the first AI-designed livery in motorsport*. When the car takes its place on the grid in London this weekend, it will mark a keymoment in celebration of McLaren Racing’s 60th anniversary. McLaren has a long history of innovation in motorsport and beyond, so as we celebrate our past, it’s just as important to look to the future and continue to break new ground.”
The NEOM McLaren Electric Racing partnership brings together two organizations committed to creating a better future and supports NEOM’s aspirations to be a global leader of sports technology and innovation through collaborations on and off track.
*in an FIA sanctioned event/ World Championship
About NEOM
NEOM is an accelerator of human progress and a vision of what a New Future might look like. It is a region in northwest Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea being built from the ground up as a living laboratory – a place where entrepreneurship will chart the course for this New Future. It will be a destination and a home for people who dream big and want to be part of building a new model for exceptional livability, creating thriving businesses and reinventing environmental conservation.
NEOM will include hyperconnected, cognitive cities, ports and enterprise zones, research centers, sports and entertainment venues and tourist destinations. As a hub for innovation, entrepreneurs, business leaders and companies will come to research, incubate and commercialize new technologies and enterprises in groundbreaking ways. Residents of NEOM will embody an international ethos and embrace a culture of exploration, risk-taking and diversity.
For further information email media@neom.com or visit www.neom.com and www.neom.com/en-us/newsroom.
About McLaren Racing
McLaren Racing was founded by racing driver Bruce McLaren 60 years ago in 1963. The team entered its first Formula 1 race in 1966. McLaren has since won 20 Formula 1 world championships, 183 Formula 1 grands prix, the Indianapolis 500 three times, and the Le Mans 24 Hours at its first attempt.
McLaren Racing competes across five racing series. In 2023, the team will compete in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship with McLaren F1 drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with Arrow McLaren drivers Pato O’Ward, Felix Rosenqvist and Alexander Rossi, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship with NEOM McLaren Formula E Team drivers René Rast and Jake Hughes, and the Extreme E Championship with NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team drivers Emma Gilmour and Tanner Foust. The team also competes in the F1 Esports Pro Championship as McLaren Shadow, having won the 2022 Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships.
McLaren is a champion for sustainability in the sport and a signatory to the UN Sports for Climate Action Commitment. It is committed to achieving net zero by 2040 and fostering a diverse and inclusive culture in the motorsport industry.
About the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team
The NEOM McLaren Formula E Team entered the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship for the 2022/23 season with René Rast and Jake Hughes.
Built on the foundations of a two-time double World Championship winning team, it competes as part of McLaren Racing for the first time, bringing one of the most iconic names in motorsport to the Formula E grid.
Formula E is an electric single-seater World Championship with innovation and sustainability at its core. The series races in some of the world’s most iconic cities with an aim to educate, excite and inspire about the electrification of mobility.
Formula E is part of the McLaren Racing portfolio, alongside Formula 1, IndyCar, Extreme E, and esports.
Read more: www.mclaren.com/racing/formula-e/