British F1 team McLaren has secured a new sponsorship deal ahead of its home grand prix in Silverstone with NTT Communications Corp. The ICT solutions and int'l communications company, a subsidiary of Japan's NTT Group, has signed on as the team's official technology partner. NTT Communications will provide network, cloud and data connectivity for McLaren-Honda over the course of the agreement. The company will pay $10M annually over five years for its association with the team, a source familiar with the deal told SBD Global. However, a team press release put the length of the deal at three years. The company will also work with McLaren to innovate and explore other advanced technologies to enhance the team's performance. NTT Communications' logo appeared on the rear-wing side plates of both McLaren-Honda MP4-31 cars, driven by Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso, during Sunday's British Grand Prix. The agreement with McLaren is the company's first in the racing series. The deal was brokered by Indianapolis-based JMI, a division of CSM Sport & Entertainment. NTT Communications' sister company NTT Data has been the primary sponsor of Chip Ganassi Racing's No. 10 car, driven by Tony Kanaan, in North America's IndyCar series since '14.
