Singapore – Global financial platform Airwallex has recently unveiled a first-of-its-kind 3D perception shift sculpture of McLaren F1 team driver Lando Norris in Singapore to launch its ‘Shifted Perspectives’ campaign locally. 

‘Shifted Perspectives’ builds on Airwallex’s partnership with McLaren Racing, first announced in early 2024, and emphasises both brands’ shared commitment to innovation and pushing boundaries.

Moreover, the campaign draws on real-world experiences from Airwallex’s customers and partners to demonstrate how innovative thinking can drive step-change growth. This fusion of art, sport, and business symbolises the shared vision of Airwallex and McLaren: by shifting perspectives, businesses can unlock new ways of solving problems and ultimately achieve their full potential.

The exclusive event at 39+ Art Space, located in the Tanjong Pagar Distripark, brought together key figures from motorsport, art, and business to highlight how viewing challenges from a different perspective can turn obstacles into opportunities.

In collaboration with renowned 3D perceptual shift artist, Michael Murphy, the sculpture symbolises the powerful role that perception plays in driving success. By fusing art, technology, and motorsport, Airwallex showcases how shifting perspectives can be the foundation for growth in business.

Murphy, celebrated for his perceptual art, brings this to life in a unique piece, which centres on Lando Norris as a representation of resilience and adaptability – qualities essential for success in both business and sport.

Jon Stona, vice president of global marketing at Airwallex, said, “Success in business often comes down to how we choose to see challenges. By shifting perspectives, we can turn barriers into building blocks. ‘Shifted Perspectives’ illustrates how, with a fresh approach, what once seemed like an obstacle can become an opportunity for growth.”

Meanwhile, Matt Dennington, co-chief commercial officer at McLaren Racing, commented, “In the competitive and unpredictable world of Formula 1, being agile and coming up with new approaches is crucial, on and off the track. The artwork, created in partnership with Airwallex, looks fantastic and we hope it inspires our fans to view challenges from a different perspective.”

Singapore – McLaren Racing has announced it has signed a multi-year partnership deal with global payments and financial platform Airwallex to modernise their global financial operations and support their iconic sport’s brand, the Formula 1 team.

In this partnership, Airwallex will support McLaren’s global financial operations through its treasury management, cross-border pay-outs, and settlement product suite.

McLaren’s existing payment infrastructure limits payments to suppliers to a single currency account based in the UK, resulting in high foreign exchange (FX) charges, slow transfers, and additional SWIFT fees.

Its new partnership with Airwallex is expected to optimise its supply chain payments for all Grand Prix. McLaren will have access to Airwallex’s financial technology that can unlock multi-currency payment options, providing the company the ability to hold core currencies and exchange them faster and with ease at any point, reducing the amount of SWIFT fees that may be payable by leveraging Airwallex’s extensive global proprietary payment rail network.

Airwallex will also support the launch and ongoing operation of McLaren’s digital partner merchandise platform, providing the technology needed to further boost their multi-currency collection capabilities and allowing them to offer a broad range of global and local payment options.

Additionally, aside from its product integration, the McLaren Formula 1 team has also signed Airwallex as its partner. The fintech company’s logo will be prominently displayed on the halo of the McLaren MCL38, on driver Lando Norris’ and Oscar Piastri’s overalls, including the pit crew, as well as across other McLaren official-branded material through the 2024 season and beyond.

With its multi-market reach and huge global annual viewership, Airwallex’s partnership with McLaren Formula 1 Team is also expected to help the fintech company in its growth trajectory as it continues to scale globally. The partnership aligns with Airwallex’s global ambitions to be the financial platform of choice for innovative businesses across the world.

Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, said, “In the competitive world of Formula 1, efficiency and performance are crucial both on and off the track. We are delighted to have Airwallex on board and use their innovative and trusted payment solutions to support our team’s financial operations.”

Meanwhile, Jack Zhang, CEO and co-founder of Airwallex, also shared, “There are very few brands that match McLaren’s heritage and global appeal. Like McLaren, Airwallex is constantly innovating to move faster and with greater precision—with a product that unites people around the world. Our partnership will play a key role in supporting our global expansion, and we look forward to working with the McLaren team in 2024 and beyond to support our mutual growth.”