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Three Years After Carlos Sainz Left McLaren, $318 Million Worth Sponsor Makes Return to British Team

Somin Bhattacharjee
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Three Years After Carlos Sainz Left McLaren, $318 Million Worth Sponsor Makes Return to British Team

Carlos Sainz is one of the most popular athletes in Spain, and he brought Estrella Galicia on-board to McLaren when he joined the Woking-based squad in 2019. He was with them till 2020 before making the switch to Ferrari and took the Spanish beer company along with him. Now, three years after leaving McLaren, Estrella Galicia leaves Sainz and Ferrari behind to return to the British team.

Earlier this week, McLaren announced Estrella Galicia’s return. The company’s branding and logo will feature on the car’s livery, and also on the kits of their drivers – Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Matt Dennington, the team’s director of partnerships and accelerator said:

“We’re excited about the upcoming season and building on the positive momentum we had last year, and it’s fantastic to go racing with Estrella Galicia alongside us.”

Estrella Galicia became a very popular brand among F1 fans, because of Carlos Sainz’s popularity. In addition to that, they were part of Ferrari, arguably the sport’s most iconic and widely supported team. Now, the company worth $318 million has joined McLaren, a team that is seemingly on the ascendency.

Interestingly, they were linked to Aston Martin in the past because of Sainz’s compatriot Fernando Alonso. That move, however, didn’t materialize, and now Estrella Galicia will hope to join hands with McLaren as they look to make major strides.

McLaren looking to step up their game in 2024

In 2024, McLaren will be one of the teams to watch out for. They had a dismal start to the previous campaign, but their development was very strong and they ended as one of the top teams. Red Bull is very far ahead of the rest of the grid, and have dominated for the last two years. However, this gap is expected to close now.

Getting the better of Red Bull may be tough this year, not just for McLaren, but for other teams too. The likes of Ferrari, Mercedes and maybe even Aston Martin will be right up there, ready to challenge the Austrian team.

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With a new partner in Estrella Galicia, McLaren will be hoping that things fall in their favor in 2024. At the very least, they will be looking to challenge for race wins.

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

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