Brazilian oil company Petrobras will return to Formula 1 with McLaren, supplying the team with fuel and lubricants from 2019.
In 2017, McLaren switched over to BP/Castrol as part of the Honda partnership; with the new Renault package in place the Woking-based outfit will switch to Petrobras fuels and lubricants for the 2019 season.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown said: “Brazil’s passion for Formula 1 is legendary and the country has produced some of the most iconic names in Formula 1 history.
"We are delighted to deepen our relationship with Brazilian F1 fans through our partnership with Petrobras, a flagship brand for the nation. Petrobras is an ambitious organisation and we look forward to McLaren being an accelerator and enhancer in their brand-building efforts.”
As part of the agreement, Petrobras, through its CENPES Research Centre, will develop gasoline and engine lubricants specially formulated for the team, which will be used in races in the 2019 season.
"The company will have a laboratory in the McLaren team’s garage during practice sessions and races, allowing real-time analysis of fuel performance."
Mercedes have led the way in the hybrid era with their tie-up with Petronas with regards to the fuel and lubricants area, a critical part of the combustion cycle which requires the supplier has to be as efficient as possible with their products in order to achieve maximum results due to the restrictive regulations.
"The effective development of the fuels and lubricants we race is a mission-critical contribution to our primary objective of success in F1." added Eric Boullier, Racing Director.
"Petrobras is already highly experienced and successful in Formula 1 and we are extremely impressed by the resources and specialists at their disposal.
"The CENPES research and development facility in Rio is world-class and has quickly demonstrated to McLaren, and our engine partner Renault, its capability to deliver the best. We look forward to a long and highly successful partnership with Petrobras."
