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McLaren's official social media pages have teased upcoming merchandise. The posts contain an image of a 'hoodie' with the caption ''coming soon'', generating hype from fans.
The 2022 season is not the only reason to keep an eye out for McLaren, with new merchandise being announced on their social media pages. There is, however, still no official release date for the highly-anticipated products. The full line of products is also unclear, with only a hoodie being teased.
The post garnered a significant amount of attention from fans, with some fans joking about the high prices the products are likely to have. A few others wrote about the lack of quality materials being used in the team's previous products, warning potential buyers of the lack of durability. One user wrote on Twitter:
“The transfers came off in the wash really easily. I’ve worn my 2021 team shirt about 3 or 4 times and they’re already coming off. It’s been like that for a while.”
Fans can only hope the new products last longer than previous ones, which have built a reputation for being overpriced and made of cheap materials.
Ferrari recently signed a deal with Swiss blockchain company Velas to create digital products for fans. Fans will now be able to buy Ferrari-related NFTs, which can increase in value depending on rarity. Velas will also be the title sponsor for the Ferrari eSports series. Here's what the team from Maranello said about the recent partnership:
“In addition, Velas will be Title Sponsor of the Ferrari Esports Series, the online mono-brand series of the Prancing Horse, and of the esports team that will compete in the F1 Esports Series, the official digital championship competed in by all teams participating in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship.”
Ferrari out-performed McLaren in 2021
Daniel Ricciardo's lack of pace, coupled with consistent performances from Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, resulted in McLaren's loss to Ferrari by a huge margin in the constructors' standings. The Italian team finished in third place, almost 50 points clear of the English team.
While Lando Norris managed to impress critics, Ricciardo had an extremely underwhelming debut season with McLaren. The Australian struggled to adjust his driving style to suit that of the car, failing to finish on points on multiple occasions.
On the other side of the story was Carlos Sainz, who impressed fans and critics with routinely consistent performances under racing conditions. The Spaniard even managed to outperform his teammate Charles Leclerc, gaining attention from some senior members at the Prancing Horse's factory in Maranello. Former F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone said of the development:
“Let’s put it this way – many people in Maranello are surprised that the Spaniard [Carlos Sainz] could give team-mate Charles Leclerc such a run for his money in 2021. For me, Leclerc was always a very good driver, but not anything more.”
With CEO Zak Brown doubtful of challenging for the title in 2022, McLaren will be hoping they can at least pip Ferrari in the coming season to take third place.
