Motul is taking its technical partnership with McLaren Racing into a new phase, extending its lubricant technology collaboration across both Formula 1 and the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). With Formula 1 heading to Malaysia and Singapore this October, the expanded partnership puts the spotlight on the technology being developed through two of motorsport’s most demanding environments. The collaboration combines Motul’s expertise in high-performance lubricants with McLaren Racing’s engineering capabilities, creating opportunities to develop and validate new solutions at the highest level of competition.
The relationship between the two companies is built on more than a decade of technical collaboration across various GT3 programmes. That experience has now evolved into a broader partnership covering McLaren’s Formula 1 and upcoming WEC Hypercar programmes. Since the beginning of the 2026 Formula 1 season, Motul has supplied lubricant for the MCL40’s gearbox and differential. From the 2027 season, the partnership will also extend to McLaren Racing’s WEC Hypercar programme, with Motul supplying engine and transmission lubricants as the team prepares for its endurance racing debut.
One of the key developments for the 2026 F1 programme is Motul’s high-performance gear oil 2714E, developed exclusively for McLaren Racing. Motul’s research and development teams in France and Japan worked closely with McLaren Racing over a nine-month period to create a formulation specifically tailored to the MCL40’s gearbox and differential.
The development programme involved more than 40 tests, covering areas such as pre-selection, tribological performance, material compatibility and final validation. Testing was carried out at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking as the teams worked to ensure the lubricant could meet the demands of Grand Prix racing. The resulting formulation is designed to optimise mechanical efficiency and transmission reliability while maintaining consistent performance across varying race conditions.
For Motul, the process also demonstrates how motorsport can serve as a real-world laboratory for lubricant development, with track data and technical feedback providing opportunities to refine future technologies. Carlo Savoca, Chief Marketing Officer of Motul Asia Pacific, said the collaboration reflects the shared engineering ambitions of both organisations.
“Motul has always been driven by a commitment to advancing lubricant technology, and our collaboration with McLaren Racing brings together two teams with a shared passion for engineering excellence and continuous development,” he said. Savoca added that Formula 1 provides an environment where precision and performance can be pushed to their limits, with every kilometre providing technical information that can contribute to the development of future lubricant technologies.
Motul’s involvement with McLaren will expand further in 2027 when the British racing organisation enters the FIA World Endurance Championship’s Hypercar category. Under the new programme, Motul will supply lubricants for both the engine and transmission, while also providing technical support as McLaren Racing prepares for its WEC debut. The partnership will draw on Motul’s extensive endurance racing experience, including its 300V racing range, which has been used as a technical reference point by numerous teams competing in demanding endurance events.
A key part of Motul’s support will come from its Racing Lab mobile laboratory. The facility can analyse fluid samples during racing programmes, providing information on areas such as component wear, oxidation, thermal stability and fuel dilution. These insights allow Motul engineers to monitor lubricant performance in real-world conditions and use the resulting data to further refine its formulations.
Motul’s involvement in endurance racing stretches back more than 70 years, with the brand’s relationship with the 24 Hours of Le Mans dating to 1954. Over the decades, Motul has supported teams competing across LMGT3, LMP2 and Hypercar categories. Its involvement with the FIA World Endurance Championship and Le Mans was further strengthened in 2016 when Motul became an Official Lubricant Partner.
Beyond endurance racing and Formula 1, Motul’s motorsport activities span disciplines including MotoGP, Dakar, MXGP and EnduroGP. The wide-ranging competition programme gives Motul multiple environments in which to develop and test lubricant technologies, from the sustained loads of endurance racing to the extreme operating conditions encountered in Grand Prix competition.
