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McLaren and Motul develop bespoke lubricant to keep them on top

Motul uses McLaren Racing to test the limits of their formulas

By Mark D McKee Jul 12, 2026 6:15 PM

Auto Racing, Car, Formula One — McLaren

My first vehicle was a 1988 Ford Ranger. It was small, reliable, and the perfect first car. However, I wasn’t allowed to park it in the driveway at home because it went through as much oil as it did gas. The leak was bad enough that I had to check and refill the oil once a week. The same cadence as the gas tank. That was where I learned the importance of fluids for cars. McLaren hits the Formula 1 tracks across the globe with that importance at the forefront of mind as they compete for the championship, and will now be teaming with Motul to take their collaboration for the world’s most reliable lubricant to the world of endurance racing. From the high stress of speed in Formula 1 to the endurance of long-distance racing, the perfect bespoke lubricant is on the way.

McLaren was already using a very high-performance transmission fluid, with an extremely high level of requirements. Our challenge was to go even further: decrease friction losses even more while ensuring lubricant durability over time. The formulation developed with McLaren Racing has been validated to maintain its performance over several thousand kilometers under Formula 1 conditions. And this is only the beginning: in F1, cars are constantly evolving, and the formulation will continue to progress as well. – Julien Plet, Head of R&D at Motul.

Using McLaren Racing as a litmus test

Formula 1 has been a great litmus test for the R & D department over at Motul. If the lubricant can withstand the stress and the pressures of Formula 1, then it can withstand almost anything. Jumping into the endurance world, Motul is looking to corner the market across the board, and McLaren is the perfect partner to make that happen.

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“If our products can withstand conditions as demanding as those faced by the top racing teams,” Plet said. “We know they meet the highest standards of quality and reliability. These are the very same products we offer to our customers. This has been part of our promise to them for decades: greater protection, endurance, and long-term reliability.”

Motul has been supplying the lubricants for the gearboxes in McLaren’s Formula 1 cars in 2026 and will add their World Endurance Championship (WEC) perfromance supercars in 2027.

Mark cut his teeth in the men’s style world when he sold suits first at box stores such as Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank… Read Full Bio

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