Google's McLaren sponsorship puts the Android robot and Chrome wheels on its 2022 F1 car

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown could potentially be seen smashing a Chromebook or an Android device in the fifth season of Formula 1: Drive to Survive, thanks to a new arrangement between the team and Google.

There is no indication of a similar branding exercise coming to the Pixel series anytime soon, even though McLaren exited its deal with OnePlus in 2020.

Instead, the new multi-year agreement between McLaren and Google will put branding on the MCL36 driven by Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, who are now available to drive in this weekend's season- opening Bahrain GP.

Image: McLaren

You can see the logo of the operating system on the engine cover in the pictures, as well as the colors of the browser on the 18-inch wheel rim.

If you're not familiar with the branded wheels in F1, it's an opportunity that's arisen as wheel covers are being reintroduced for the first time since 2009. As noted by Formula1.com, the covers are a mandatory addition to all cars this season, and while they have a simpler design than the ones seen on some cars in the mid-00s, they are part of the changes instituted to lower turbulence created by each car. There is more information on the history of wheel covers in F1, why they were banned prior to the 2010 season, and why they are back now.

They say that McLaren will use 5G-enabled phones and browsers across its operations to support the drivers and team, with the goal of improving on-track performance. We are looking forward to an exciting partnership that spans across Formula 1 and Extreme E.

As a viewer, the inclusion is less annoying than the race broadcast, but as Microsoft discovered with its Surface and the NFL, the real branding opportunity.

There are additional pictures of the MCL36 and information about wheel covers for the F1 cars.