NEOM McLaren Formula E Team unveil world’s first generative AI-designed livery in motorsport

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CEO McLaren Racing Zak Brown, driver Jake Hughes, Sundus Baroom, Omar Almoalim and Feras Shami of NEOM, driver Rene Rast, back, and MD/Team Principal McLaren Racing Ian James. (Supplied)
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NEOM McLaren Formula E Team drivers Jake Hughes and Rene Rast. (Supplied)
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The NEOM McLaren Formula E Team car featuring the AI-generated livery. (Supplied)
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The NEOM McLaren Formula E Team car featuring the AI-generated livery. (Supplied)
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Updated 26 July 2023
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NEOM McLaren Formula E Team unveil world’s first generative AI-designed livery in motorsport

  • Collaboration lauded by CEOs of 2 organizations involved in project 
  • Artwork will appear on race cars at London E-Prix as part of 60th anniversary celebrations
  • Design inspired by visions of the future provided by members of graduate program, team’s drivers

NEOM: The NEOM McLaren Formula E Team has unveiled the world’s first motorsport livery designed using generative artificial intelligence, to celebrate McLaren Racing’s 60th anniversary year at this weekend’s London E-Prix.

The livery, which is a collaboration between NEOM and McLaren Racing, features artwork built on visions of the future provided by drivers Rene Rast and Jake Hughes, as well as four members of NEOM’s Graduate Development Program.

Each contributor provided a personal vision, and the results were combined in an end-to-end AI process to produce the livery.

The visions were processed by a text AI to create a series of prompts, and these were used to produce an individual artwork for each vision using text-to-image AI.

The six visuals were combined into one artwork using image-to-image AI, before being enhanced to create the high-resolution graphics that McLaren Racing designers mapped onto the car.

The young Saudi NEOM graduates, central to the design process, will join the NEOM McLaren Electric Talent Programme later this year on a 12-month development program with the team. It is part of an ongoing initiative that will welcome a number of Saudi graduates to the team over the next few years, with the aim of developing Saudi talent through experience within a world-renowned high-performance organization.

Nadhmi Al-Nasr, CEO of NEOM, said: “The NEOM McLaren Formula E Team partnership supports various NEOM commitments, from driving sustainable solutions and nurturing Saudi talent through development opportunities, to delivering new technology to the world.

“We have leveraged creative and innovative technology to create the AI-generated livery to celebrate a milestone in McLaren’s history through visions of the future.”

Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, said: “We are delighted to work with NEOM on the creation of the first AI-designed livery in motorsport.

“When the car takes its place on the grid in London this weekend, it will mark a key moment in celebration of McLaren Racing’s 60th anniversary. McLaren has a long history of innovation in motorsport and beyond, so as we celebrate our past, it’s just as important to look to the future and continue to break new ground.”

The NEOM McLaren Electric Racing partnership brings together two organizations committed to creating a better future, and supports NEOM’s aspirations to be a global leader of sports technology and innovation through collaborations on and off the track.


China beat North Korea 2-1 to take top spot in Group B

Updated 09 March 2026
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China beat North Korea 2-1 to take top spot in Group B

  • Uzbekistan finished third in the group with a 4-0 win over Bangladesh in Perth, also securing a spot in the knockout stage

SYDNEY: Defending champion China edged North Korea 2-1 in a physical, high-energy game Monday to take top spot in Group B in the Women’s Asian Cup.

The result sent North Korea into a quarterfinal Friday against Australia in Perth, where the hosts and 2023 World Cup semifinalists opened the tournament with a win over Philippines.

China and North Korea were already assured of quarterfinal spots with two wins apiece ahead of their showdown at Western Sydney Stadium. Uzbekistan finished third in the group with a 4-0 win over Bangladesh in Perth, also securing a spot in the knockout stage.

Playing in their first Women’s Asian Cup tournament since losing the 2010 final to Australia, North Korea only needed a draw against China to top the group. And they took the lead when Kim Kyong Yong finished off a counter-attacking goal in the 32nd minute, the first shot on goal in the game.

The lead was shortlived, though, with China equalizing two minutes later with Chen Qiaozhu’s stunning strike through traffic from the edge of the area.

China went ahead in a tense finish to the first half, when Wang Shuang’s goal was awarded after a VAR review deep in stoppage time.

The VAR decision to overturn the assistant referee’s offside call upset the North Korean players and led to coach Ri Song Ho being yellow carded by referee Thi Ly Le as his team protested on the sideline. The North Korean players didn’t return to the pitch before halftime was called.

Both teams had chances in the second half, with North Korea goalkeeper Yu Son Gum making a full-length diving save to Wang’s powerful left-foot shot in the 78th, and then 19-year-old Choe Il Son appearing to equalize two minutes later before being ruled offside after a VAR review.

In Perth, Dildora Nozimova scored twice in six minutes for Uzbekistan, her first just two minutes after entering the game as a substitute on the hour.

State of play

The top two teams in each of the three groups advance to the quarterfinals along with the two best third-place teams.

In Group A, South Korea edged Australia for top spot on goal difference after the 3-3 draw in Sydney on Sunday night. The South Koreans will play the third-place team from either Group B or Group C in the quarterfinals. Philippines still have a narrow chance of advancing after placing third, finishing with a win over Iran. That put Iran women’s team out of contention, and facing the prospect of a return to country at war.

In Group C, two-time champion Japan lead with six points ahead of their last group match against Vietnam, who are tied with Taiwan for second spot on three points. Taiwan finish the group stage against India.