McLaren is not charging its sponsors any extra for having their logos on Fernando Alonso's IndyCar, despite the massive exposure they will receive this weekend, as well as the coverage they have already had during practice and qualifying.
Alonso's car is bedecked in McLaren's Formula 1 sponsors, such as Hilton, SAP, Chandon and Richard Mille amongst others, but they haven't been charged for the additional sponsorship according to McLaren boss Zak Brown, who says it's McLaren's way of saying thank you and apologising for their current dip in performance which has led to less positive media coverage than their sponsors would like.
"It's something we're doing as part of our larger motor racing programme to deliver for our partners," he is quoted as saying by Motorsport. "It isn't anything we have charged them incrementally for.
"As good partners, you need to recognise when you're delivering and when you are not and we're not delivering on track, which directly impacts their exposure.
"So this is a great way to offset that loss of exposure that we are generating now with a tremendous amount of exposure. We felt that was the right thing to do."
Alonso will take part in his first Indianapolis 500 on Sunday after qualifying fifth, whilst Jenson Button will stand-in for him at the Monaco Grand Prix.
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