• Second McLaren competition for mental health charity partner Mind to win Carlos Sainz’s and Lando Norris’ self-designed Eifel GP race-worn helmets raises almost £60,000
• Total raised for Mind through McLaren initiatives by fans, partners and team members in 2020 surpasses £285,000
• Money raised for F1 charities as part of #WeRaceAsOne campaign, brings McLaren’s total fundraising in response to the covid-19 pandemic to more than £420,000 since the Austrian Grand Prix 2020
• McLaren and Mind to extend relationship into the 2021 Formula 1 season to raise awareness of mental health and support 
• All money raised will help Mind to provide support services so that no one has to face a mental health problem alone
• Fans can support Mind by donating at mind.org.uk/mclarenformind

McLaren Racing today announced that it has extended its relationship with mental health charity partner Mind into the 2021 Formula 1 season. The continuation builds on the success of the partnership in 2020, to drive awareness of mental health issues and support better mental health.

Since the partnership was announced with Mind in July 2020, McLaren has helped raise a total of more than £285,000 for the charity through donations from fans, partners and team members, surpassing the original target of £100,000.

In addition, McLaren has raised money for Formula 1’s charities – which will be announced in the new year – through sales of limited-edition merchandise collections for the sport’s #WeRaceAsOne campaign. This brings the total amount fundraised for charities since the team’s return to racing at the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix to £420,494.

During the final triple-header of the 2020 Formula 1 season, McLaren launched a second prize draw for fans in support of Mind, with a chance to win one of 14 amazing prizes. These included Lando’s and Carlos’ self-designed one-off helmets worn during the Eifel Grand Prix, McLaren caps signed by both drivers, McLaren Official 2020 Team Polo Shirts and Specialized Sirrus Comp Carbon Hybrid bikes. Fans were able to participate in the draw through a minimum £5 donation to Mind. In total, an incredible £58,820 was raised for the charity, bringing the total fundraised for Mind through McLaren activities in 2020 to more than £285,000.

Throughout this season, McLaren has supported Mind with a range of activities, including:

• A prize draw for fans to win Lando Norris’ and Carlos Sainz’s hand-painted helmets
• A capsule collection of special Mind and #WeRaceAsOne merchandise
• The entire McLaren Racing team, plus its fans and partners, took part in the #MoveforMind fundraising challenge
• The Mind logo featured on the MCL35 engine cover and pit-crew helmets
• McLaren Racing launched a content series focusing on mental health challenges as told by team members
• Both Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz raced in bespoke self-designed helmets to mark World Mental Health Day during the Eifel Grand Prix
• Lando opened up about his own mental health challenges during his first season in Formula 1 in a blog on McLaren.com in support of Mind’s Side by Side online community

The money raised for Mind by the McLaren Racing family during this season is being donated directly to the charity to support their crucial work in England and Wales, including helping to tackle the mental health crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. This will enable Mind to continue to provide support for everyone experiencing a mental health problem through services such as the charity’s confidential information and support lines, Mind Infoline and legal line.

Mind’s Infoline advisors saw up to 500 enquiries a day in October 2020, twice the number it would usually see at this time of the year. Call length also increased, with callers getting in touch with more complex enquiries, or wanting support with a range of things that might be contributing to their worsening mental health.

Donations from the McLaren partnership will also help to keep Mind’s online peer support community – Side by Side – running. This vital service provides a safe place for adults to talk about their mental health problems and connect with others who understand what they’re going through.

During 2021, McLaren Racing will continue to raise awareness of Mind’s mission to ensure anyone experiencing a mental health problem gets the support and advice they need. In addition, the team will continue to contribute to the wider conversation on mental health, as part of its commitment to the overall health and well-being of its people, their families and the wider community.

Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing said:

“We’re delighted to be continuing our support for Mind into 2021. Over the course of this year, the coronavirus pandemic has impacted the mental health of so many people and continues to do so. Mind’s work in fighting the mental health crisis is so essential, and we’re proud to support the charity through raising awareness of the importance of mental health. We value mental health and well-being at McLaren Racing, especially critical in such a fast-paced, high-pressure environment as Formula 1, and we’re consistently broadening our understanding of mental health issues to be able to offer a range of guidance, support and tools to our people.

“Raising more than £420,000, a sum that continues to grow, is a phenomenal effort by our team members, fans, partners and our two drivers, to help Mind and Formula 1’s chosen charities support those most in need. As the 2020 season comes to a close, we’re proud of our efforts so far and we’re excited to continue our relationship with Mind as we go racing in 2021 and will keep shining a spotlight on important mental health issues.”

Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind, said:

“We are incredibly grateful to McLaren Racing for the support they have given us this year, by helping to raise money and awareness for better mental health. The entire McLaren Racing family has been behind this partnership right from the start, helping to make it a huge success through some really creative and special ways of fundraising, as well as generating important conversations around mental health.

“The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the nation’s mental health, especially for those of us with existing mental health problems, has been devastating, and the effects will be long lasting. We know from our coronavirus survey that over half of adults and two-thirds of young people said their mental health has worsened since the outbreak of the pandemic. We also found that more than one in five adults with no previous experience of poor mental health now say their mental health is poor or very poor.

“As the impact of the pandemic on our mental health continues to be felt, and the demand for our services grows, thanks to McLaren Racing’s support we are able to be there for more people who need us. We are delighted to continue to work with them into next year’s season and look forward to what’s down the track.”

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