VELO & THE McLAREN FORMULA 1® TEAM UNVEIL ABU DHABI GP LIVERY INSPIRED BY FANS' FAVOURITE McLAREN MEMORIES

• Nine McLaren Formula 1® Team superfans inspire artwork rooted in nostalgia for the McLaren MCL39, translating personal memories and stories into racing history as part of the 'Live Your Fandom' campaign.
• Designed for the fans, by the fans, the unique artwork forms part of a Race Takeover with the McLaren Formula 1® Team across the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend.

ABU DHABI, UAE, Dec. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, VELO, a leading global brand of nicotine pouches, and the McLaren Formula 1® Team announce a fan-inspired livery design for the upcoming Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. This special livery, uniquely co-created by nine McLaren Formula 1® Team superfans from around the world showcases shared passion and unforgettable moments, to celebrate the unwavering support of the global McLaren Formula 1® Team fan community.

Championing self-expression, VELO and the McLaren Formula 1® Team are putting fandom front and centre through the 'Live Your Fandom' campaign. The two brands have come together to deliver unparalleled experiences for fans this season, culminating in an immersive race takeover with the McLaren Formula 1® Team during the Abu Dhabi race weekend. From McLaren Formula 1 Team driver suits to paddock screens and garage walls, the race-wide artwork will show up in core elements with the McLaren Formula 1® Team over the iconic finale weekend.

In August, the 'Live Your Fandom' campaign granted nine superfans from the UK, Romania, Czech Republic, Mexico, and beyond a 'golden ticket' experience. These fans spent a full day at the McLaren Technology Centre (MTC), enjoying a behind-the-scenes tour, sharing their cherished McLaren Formula 1® Team memories directly with McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown, as well as a surprise Q&A session with McLaren Formula 1® Team Driver, Lando Norris.

The superfans not only walked in as spectators, but as creators. The McLaren Formula 1® Team 2025 Abu Dhabi livery design features co-created artwork inspired by their most defining McLaren moments. These stories are distilled into iconic visuals, making the design far more than just graphics. In an intimate workshop, the fans poured their passion into sketches and symbols, unknowingly shaping the livery for the season finale. Their contribution to the process was revealed when they returned to the MTC for an exclusive preview with Zak Brown and Lando Norris.

The livery features a series of bespoke icons, each representing a cherished fan memory or a symbol of the McLaren Formula 1® Team's enduring legacy and community spirit.

These include:

• Papaya Family:  An icon of the self-titled term representing the community spirit of McLaren Formula 1® Team fans from around the world and their unwavering support.
• Forever Forward Friendship Bracelet:  Inspired by a bracelet from a fan, this icon symbolises the McLaren Formula 1® Team motto, and how fandom unites strangers into lifelong friends.
• Home Wins:  An icon symbolising the UK team winning at its home this season – the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, and at the Bahrain Grand Prix, which is considered as the second home for the McLaren Formula 1® Team.
• Back-to-Back Constructors' Champions: Celebrating an era of dominance and echoing the fans' pride in the team's history and heritage, the fans have chosen to celebrate this incredible success with a trophy icon.
• 200 Race Wins: A representation of the 200 Race Wins milestone at the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix for the McLaren Formula 1® Team was inspired by the fans recalling it as a "goosebump moment" that only racing history can deliver.
• 1-2: Selected to represent the McLaren Formula 1® Team's 50^th 1-2 finish at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix from the season, a memorable moment for the team and its fans.
• Fastest Pitstop:  A nod to the McLaren Formula1 Team's® 1.91-second pitstop, the fastest of the 2025 Formula 1 season (as of the Las Vegas Grand Prix) celebrated by the fans as a mark of precision and teamwork.

Luca Angiolillo, Global Head of Partnerships at BAT, commented: "VELO believes in championing authentic self-expression, and what better way than to literally put the passion of the McLaren Formula 1® Team global fanbase onto the MCL39. This co-created design is a powerful statement of how deeply fans are integrated into the team's journey, which is the ultimate embodiment of our 'Live Your Fandom' campaign. VELO is proud to celebrate these experiences that allow fans to embrace their own unique fandom as part of a community – and we can't wait to see this special fan-driven takeover take centre stage at the season finale!"   

Louise McEwen, Chief Marketing Officer, McLaren Racing, commented: "Our fans are at the heart of everything we do, and this special livery is another way of showing our appreciation. Through the 'Live Your Fandom' campaign with VELO, we've been able to celebrate their passion and creativity in a way that truly brings the Papaya Family together. "

To learn more about the VELO x McLaren Formula 1® Team 'Live Your Fandom' campaign and the fan-inspired livery, visit VELO's  Instagram, as well as McLaren Racing's website to discover more about this initiative.

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ABOUT VELO

Originating in Scandinavia, Velo is a global brand of nicotine pouches.

Nicotine pouches are small pouches that contain nicotine. They're designed to be tucked between your lip and gum, where they release nicotine over a short time – this can be different from brand to brand. For adult nicotine consumers, nicotine pouches can be an alternative to cigarettes and a convenient way to consume nicotine. Nicotine consumers have more choices than ever, as VELO pouches also come in an assortment of flavours and nicotine strengths for different tastes and nicotine experience levels.

About BAT

BAT is a leading global multi-category consumer goods business. Underpinned by world-leading science and research and development, our purpose is to create A Better Tomorrow™ by Building a Smokeless World.

Central to achieving this is the concept of Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) – the switching of smokers, who would otherwise continue to smoke, from risky forms of combustible tobacco products like cigarettes, to lower risk profile smokeless tobacco and nicotine products. This is outlined further in Omni™, an evidence-based manifesto for change, which captures BAT's commitment and progress on THR.

BAT employs more than 48,000 people and, in 2024, generated revenue of £25.9bn, with an adjusted profit from operations of £11.9bn.

BAT's aim is to have 50 million adult consumers of its smokeless products by 2030 and generate 50% of its revenue from these products by 2035. With 30.5 million current users – including vapour brand Vuse; heated product brand glo; and modern oral (nicotine pouch) brand Velo – BAT's new category revenues have climbed to £3.4bn in 2024, with strong progress in profitability.

BAT continues to strive towards reducing its use of virgin raw materials, enhancing the communities in which it operates and working towards net zero across its value chain by 2050. BAT received a "Triple-A" rating from CDP for its 2024 disclosures on Climate Change, Water Security and Forests; and was recently named a Financial Times Climate Leader for the fifth year running.

About McLaren Racing  

McLaren Racing was founded by racing driver Bruce McLaren in 1963. The team entered its first Formula 1 race in 1966. McLaren has since won 22 Formula 1 world championships, over 200 Formula 1 Grands Prix, the Indianapolis 500 three times, and the Le Mans 24 Hours at its first attempt. 

McLaren Racing competes across four racing series. The team competes 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, Nolan Siegel and Christian Lundgaard, and F1 Academy with Driver Development Programme member Ella Lloyd. The team also competes in the F1 Sim Racing Championship as McLaren Shadow.

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.

McLaren Racing – Official Website

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