McLaren and Sonic announce a partnership, more than three decades after Ayrton Senna’s famous Sonic trophy win
The collaboration will lead to “creative integrations”, the pair says
British motor racing team McLaren Racing has joined a multi-year partnership with Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega has confirmed.
Designed to highlight each partner as “globally recognised icons of speed”, the pairing will lead to “creative integrations and experiences that fuse the worlds of motorsport and gaming and engage audiences of all ages both on the grid and screen”.
The collaboration will continue through Sonic Team’s ‘Racing Around the World’ campaign this year, into Sonic’s 35th anniversary this year, as well as the McLaren F1 team’s 1,000th Grand Prix.
Introducing the newest member of the papaya family, @Sonic_Hedgehog š¤©š#McLaren #Sonic
ā McLaren (@McLarenF1) June 26, 2025
Sega is describing the partnership as “a reunion more than thirty years in the making”, but the event it’s referring to wasn’t originally supposed to involve McLaren.
The 1993 Formula One European Grand Prix, held at Donington Park in the UK, was heavily sponsored by Sega. Not only had the race been renamed the XXXVIII Sega European Grand Prix and covered with Sega branding, but Sega had also sponsored Williams, applying Sonic decals to Alain Prost and Damon Hill’s cars.
Prost and Hill were favourites to win the race, but it was instead won by McLaren’s Ayrton Senna, meaning it was Senna, and not a Williams driver, who ended up lifting the one-of-a-kind Sonic trophy on the podium.
The trophy remains in McLaren’s archives to this day, so in a sense the newly announced partnership takes what was an unintentional collaboration more than three decades ago and now makes it official.
Look what we foundā¦ š
Ayrton Senna’s iconic SEGA trophy from *THAT* 1993 #F1 race at Donington! ā¤ļø pic.twitter.com/aCA6se6IFM
ā McLaren (@McLarenF1) August 8, 2023
“The collaboration between Sonic the Hedgehog and McLaren Racing underscores our shared passion for high-speed action and racing,” Sega / Atlus vice president of brand marketing Marcella Churchill said in a statement.
“Racing is in the DNA of both the Sonic and McLaren brands. Itās where we began and what drives us forward. By combining Sonicās iconic appeal with McLaren, weāre creating a partnership that should excite fans everywhere. This partnership is about celebrating our shared values, and we canāt wait to share this collaboration and the future activations to come with fans.”
McLaren Racing chief marketing officer Louise McEwen added: “Weāre 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.”
