When McLaren painted Trafalgar Square papaya orange, it wasn’t just a branding stunt - it was a statement. A statement about where McLaren is going, who they’re speaking to, and who they represent. We joined Louise McEwan, McLaren’s Chief Marketing Officer, at the team’s largest fan event to date - a London takeover that brought together F1, F1 Academy, IndyCar, and Formula E under one very bold, very unified vision.

Watch the full interview on YouTube or listen on Spotify and Apple Podcast to catch every detail!

Building the Female F1 Fanbase: McLaren’s Strategy

“Our number one audience at Milkshake is female North American fans - and they love McLaren,” we told Lou. Her response? Gratitude, and a little pride.

“We had to become something else — something that made space for new fans, especially women.”

McLaren leaned in. Hard. They launched female-first fashion collaborations with brands like Reiss, Levi’s, and Abercrombie & Fitch - not just sizing down men’s pieces, but building collections that centered female fans.

Behind the scenes, McLaren also prioritized representation in motorsport. They were among the first teams to support the F1 Academy, signing young British driver Ella Lloyd. Today, their marketing team is over 50% women.

As Lou said: “Representation matters - whether you’re in the car like Ella, or working off-track in finance, marketing, engineering. There’s room for women in every corner of this sport.”

Lou McEwen’s Advice for Women in Motorsport

With over 25 years of experience in and around Formula 1, Lou knows the barriers - and how to break them.

Her biggest advice for young women looking to enter motorsport?

• Build your network - “Talk to people. Take the time. That’s where opportunity lives.”
• Don’t fear failure - “Things won’t always go to plan. But that’s part of growth.”
• Think beyond the obvious - “Not every job is trackside. We have women leading marketing, finance, people ops - all essential to how this team runs.”

The McLaren Lifestyle Era: More Than Just Racing

We also asked about McLaren’s approach to lifestyle branding and fashion collabs, especially as teams start leaning into cultural crossovers.

“We want to work with partners who share our values,” Lou said. “And reaching female fans has been at the heart of that - from Levi’s to Reiss.” But equally important is accessability.

“Not all F1 merch is affordable. We want to offer a wider range so more fans can own a piece of McLaren.”

And while she couldn’t spill the details, Lou teased big things for 2026. “All I’ll say is - the girls are going to love it.”