16 April 2026 13:30 (UTC)
McLaren Racing Club is a place all of our fans can call home, no matter where they are in the world
McLaren wouldn’t be McLaren without our fans. Widely recognised as one of the most committed, inclusive, and passionate fanbases in Formula 1, the Papaya Family are just as integral to our success as any driver, mechanic, or engineer.
From the sea of papaya shirts in grandstands across the calendar to the constant stream of support you send our way on social media, it’s our fans that drive us forward.
Whether you’re travelling across the world to watch races in the pouring rain, standing by us through the toughest moments, soaking up our biggest successes, or sharing your beautifully creative artwork with us, the unwavering support of the Papaya Family never goes unnoticed. It means everything to the team.
Our team is always looking for ways to improve, and that includes the space our global fanbase calls home. For years, that’s been McLaren Plus: a place for early access to competitions and savings on official merchandise. But we knew we could do more.
We wanted to create something that brings fans even closer to the team, wherever they are in the world. A dedicated space to take you behind the scenes, uncover untold stories, and deliver the latest news faster than anywhere else. A place that offers bigger, more exclusive competitions and even greater rewards.
Most importantly, a place where every member of the Papaya Family, whether they’re watching from Sydney, São Paulo, or Scunthorpe, feels genuinely connected to the McLaren team.
That’s why we created the McLaren Racing Club. For you. “The mission of the McLaren Racing Club was really to serve our fans better,” said Louise McEwen, Chief Marketing Officer at McLaren Racing. “Whether you’ve been following us for 60 years or six months, we wanted to be able to provide fans with highly-personalised, real-time content and connect with them in better ways than ever before.”
Here, we’ll dive into the McLaren Racing Club’s origin story and why we partnered with Okta to help bring our vision to life.
To make the McLaren Racing Club a reality, we knew we’d need to undergo a significant digital transformation, including relaunching our website and building a brand-new app that could meet the needs of millions of fans across the globe. Of course, this came with its fair share of potential risks and critical requirements to consider.
Once we had decided to build a new and improved digital home for our fans, safety and security became our first priority. We wanted the McLaren Racing Club to feel genuinely like home: welcoming, stress-free, and easy to access.
It was a challenge we knew we couldn't solve alone “That’s why it was so important for us to work with a trusted security provider that could enable world-class technology experiences for our fans, while keeping their identities secure so they can log in with confidence,” said Leesa Haydock, Director of Digital Marketing & Products at McLaren Racing.
Enter, Okta. As one of the world’s most trusted identity security platforms, Okta was a natural choice for an ongoing partnership that could keep fans safe online while elevating the overall digital experience. Built for both security and simplicity, Okta’s Auth0 Platform enables secure access, authentication, and automation so McLaren fans can stay seamlessly connected to the team, without ever having to worry about identity issues.
For a fanbase that spans every corner of the globe, that kind of universal, reliable protection isn't just a nice-to-have - it's essential.
“It was important to us at Okta that we handled the complexity of creating a safe and secure digital platform so that the McLaren Racing Commercial Team could focus on doing what they do best: connecting with that amazing Papaya Family,” said Okta Chief Marketing Officer Shannon Duffy. “We partnered with McLaren to ensure that the very first interaction a fan has with the app builds just as much trust as the brand itself.”
Our new home, the McLaren Racing Club, is still fresh out of the box but further expansions are already on the way. Fans can look forward to exclusive competitions, fan events, race weekend coverage, and early access to limited-edition merchandise, with plenty more features still to come.
“Looking ahead, there’s lots more to come to the McLaren Racing Club. We’ll be launching new products and features to supercharge that experience,” said CMO Louise McEwen.
Crucially, Okta’s Auth0 Platform is built to scale alongside us. So as the Papaya Family continues to grow - as it always does - every new member will be welcomed with open arms, a seamless experience, and the assurance that their digital safety is in good hands. With the help of Okta, the McLaren Racing Club is just getting started, and we’re glad you’re here for it.
