Bahrain—When McLaren Racing chose to unveil their 2026 Formula 1 contender to the world, they needed more than just a reveal. They needed a broadcast-grade live event capable of reaching a global audience simultaneously on McLaren’s YouTube channel and Sky Sports while delivering a physically captivating experience for guests on-site at the Bahrain International Circuit.
McLaren F1 Car Launch
Live broadcast production delivered by Whisper Films for McLaren Racing
For Creative Technology, the brief was clear: deliver a broadcast-quality live reveal of the McLaren MCL39.
For Creative Technology, the brief was clear: deliver a broadcast-quality live reveal of the McLaren MCL39 in the Bahrain Circuit, which is not a purpose-built broadcast studio. The challenge was getting production infrastructure across and coordinating a multi-discipline technical build in a compressed two-day window.
The video workflow featured a broadcast camera system from Sony, configured to support a dynamic live production. The cameras were paired with broadcast and ENG lenses from Canon, providing a mix of long-range coverage for key reveal moments and wider, more flexible framing. The grip and movement setup combined a Tiffen Steadicam system with a Stanton jib, allowing the reveal to transition from a dramatic wide establishing shot into an intimate close-up of the vehicle.
Lighting & Control
Design Philosophy
The lighting design was built around a layered approach: large, soft sources to wrap the car and eliminate harsh shadows; dynamic LED fixtures to create the kind of dramatic color-shift reveal sequence; and atmospheric haze to add depth.
CT deployed Elation KL Fresnel 8 FC as primary soft wash sources, supplemented by Elation KL Panels for smooth, color-consistent fill. While the Astera FP3 Hyperion Tubes and Astera AX1 Titan Tubes create elegant, linear light shapes that complement the car’s aerodynamic lines.
The Robe LEDBeam 350s with Elation Proteus Maximus, Ayrton Kyalami, GLP Impression X4 Bar 20s, and GLP JDC1 strobe/wash hybrids offered dramatic punctuation moments during the reveal.
Control
Programming and control ran on a GrandMA3 Light Size console, distributed via Lumen Radio Aurora wireless DMX transceivers.
PA & Comms
The PA system was centered on a d&b Audiotechnik E5 loudspeaker system with T-SUB subwoofers, powered by d&b 5D amplifiers and controlled via a DiGiCo S21 digital mixing console. A DiGiCo D2-Rack 48/16 via Dual MADI provided I/O connectivity for live mixing.
McLaren needed clean, reliable RF coverage for multiple presenters simultaneously in an environment that, by virtue of being at a race circuit, has significant RF interference potential. CT deployed a Shure Axient Digital 16-way radio microphone system as our RF backbone: Shure AD4D dual-channel and Shure AD4Q quad-channel receivers, fed by Shure UA874WB active directional antennas distributed via a Shure AXT630 antenna distribution unit.
Shure ADX1-G56 bodypack transmitters, each running a DPA 4080 Cardioid Lavalier microphone via DPA Microdot-to-Shure TA4F adaptors, gave us comprehensive presenter coverage. While in-ear director-to-presenter communication and monitor feeds were handled by a Sennheiser G4-B IEM system.
CT ran a dual-layer comms architecture. Wireless comms were provided by a Riedel Bolero 10-way wireless intercom system. A Riedel NSA-002A 4-wire interface provided integration between the Bolero wireless system and our wired Clear-Com infrastructure. The network backbone for the comms system was a Luminex GigaCore 10 PoE switch, with single-mode QuadCON fiber runs and CAT6/CAT7 Ethernet infrastructure.
McLaren Racing entrusted Creative Technology with the global debut of their 2026 F1 car
“What made this project a success,” said Ghanim Williams, Project Manager at CTME, “was the coherence of the overall system and the caliber of the people operating it. Every department was specified to broadcast standard because every department fed into a single output: the live signal going out to millions of people watching on YouTube and Sky Sports.”
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