Velo and McLaren F1 Release Behind-the-Scenes Photo Set

Nine fans from the United Kingdom, Romania, the Czech Republic and Mexico were given a full day inside the McLaren Technology Centre in Surrey, England, as part of a partnership between nicotine pouch brand Velo and the McLaren Formula 1 team. The group, selected through a McLaren Plus app competition and other supporter channels, toured the facility, took part in a design workshop and met driver Lando Norris. A new set of images from the visit was released on Sept. 9, 2025, offering a look at the "Live Your Fandom" campaign in action.

The "Live Your Fandom" campaign is built around the idea of turning spectators into participants. Velo, which describes itself as a champion of authenticity and self-expression, has partnered with McLaren to reward fans with experiences that go beyond watching races. For this year's Formula 1 season, the two brands have been working together to deliver access to the team's inner workings and to build a community among followers across different countries. The photo set marks the latest public-facing piece of that effort, documenting the fan day at the team's headquarters.

The selected supporters began their day with a private tour of the McLaren Technology Centre, the team's base west of London. They were shown the workings of the campus and were greeted by a letter from McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown, which set the tone for the day. Later, in a surprise visit from Brown, the group shared their favourite McLaren memories with him directly. They then moved into an exclusive design workshop, where they helped provide inspiration for a number of upcoming projects that the team is keeping secret for now. The day wrapped with a question-and-answer session with Lando Norris.

Fan reaction was enthusiastic. Lauren Allen from the UK said she had always wanted to come to the McLaren Technology Centre and described the experience as incredible, thanking Velo for the opportunity. Shantal Ayala Abdala from Mexico said the brand and the team welcomed the visitors warmly and that she felt like part of the "papaya family," the nickname for McLaren's distinctive orange racing colour scheme. Both fans were among the nine selected for the day.

Matt Dennington, Co-Chief Commercial Officer of McLaren Racing, said the relationship with supporters is central to the team, and being able to welcome a small group to the headquarters and turn their enthusiasm into creative output was a highlight. He described the initiative as a joint project with Velo that gains its value from putting fans at the centre. Luca Angiolillo, Global Head of Partnerships at BAT, said Velo has spent years rewarding F1 fandom and the current campaign represents a step further, with a goal of creating a sense of togetherness through motorsport and letting fans contribute their own ideas.

For those who want to see the campaign for themselves, the new images are being shared through Velo's Instagram account and on McLaren Racing's website. The "Live Your Fandom" campaign continues through the remainder of the Formula 1 season, with additional details about future fan participation expected from both companies. The photo set serves as both a record of this year's fan day and an invitation for the next round of supporters to get involved, and it gives viewers outside the selected group a sense of what a day at the team's headquarters is like.

Velo originated in Scandinavia and has grown into a globally distributed nicotine pouch brand. The product itself is a small pouch containing nicotine but no tobacco leaf, designed to be placed between the lip and gum. Velo's version releases nicotine over a period of up to 30 minutes. The pouches are sold in a range of flavours and nicotine strengths to suit different preferences. The brand's collaboration with McLaren is part of a longer-running effort to reward Formula 1 fans around the world.

Velo is owned by BAT, a London-based consumer goods company that employs more than 48,000 people. In 2024, BAT generated revenue of 25.9 billion pounds and adjusted profit from operations of 11.9 billion pounds. BAT's portfolio includes vapour brand Vuse, heated product glo and Velo, and the company reported 30.5 million consumers of its smokeless products. BAT has set a target of reaching 50 million consumers of those products by 2030 and generating half its revenue from them by 2035. The company's new category revenues reached 3.4 billion pounds in 2024.

McLaren Racing was founded by Bruce McLaren in 1963 and first raced in Formula 1 in 1966. The team has won 21 Formula 1 world championships and 201 Grands Prix, along with three Indianapolis 500 victories and a Le Mans 24 Hours win at its first attempt. Today, it competes in four racing series, including Formula 1 with drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. For pouch buyers in Canada or the United States, Velo's tie to McLaren brings a stream of branded content, competitions and fan experiences, with the current campaign giving a small group of international supporters an unusually deep look inside the team.