MCLAREN UNWRAPS THE MCL40: PAPAYA, PERFECTED FOR A NEW F1 ERA.
McLaren Racing has pulled the covers off the livery for the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team’s 2026 challenger, the MCL40, and it lands with the quiet confidence of a team that knows exactly who it is. New regulations, new car, same unmistakable papaya heartbeat.
Revealed during a live stream from Bahrain, a place that has become McLaren’s second home, the moment brought together CEO Zak Brown, Team Principal Andrea Stella, drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, Chief Marketing Officer Lou McEwen, and Chief Designer Rob Marshall. Front and centre was the MCL40, wearing a livery that blends heritage with intent.
McLaren has form here. When the team wins championships, it doesn’t chase reinvention for reinvention’s sake. After claiming both the 2025 Constructors’ and Drivers’ World Championships, the 2026 car carries that success forward, continuing the tradition of rolling a winning look into the following season.
The iconic papaya remains the hero, now sharpened with striking anthracite elements and subtle flashes of teal. It’s familiar, but leaner. Louder in all the right ways. The same design language extends to the drivers’ race suits, with Lando and Oscar sporting an all-papaya front and anthracite rear, their numbers 1 and 81 standing proud in McLaren colours. A visual statement before a single light goes out.
Underneath the paint, the MCL40 represents a clean-sheet response to Formula 1’s new technical regulations, demanding teams rethink everything from the ground up. The car has already stretched its legs at the Barcelona Pre-Season Shakedown and officially took to the track on Tuesday, 10 February for a promotional filming day, ahead of the first Bahrain Pre-Season Test beginning on Wednesday, 11 February. The livery also reflects the strength of McLaren’s commercial ecosystem, with partner branding integrated as a reminder that modern Formula 1 is as much about collaboration as it is competition.
“We’re delighted to present our 2026 challenger’s livery from our second home, Bahrain,” said Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing. “The iconic papaya continues on the MCL40 as we keep our tradition of carrying Championship-winning liveries through to the next season. Racing performance remains at the forefront of the design process, and we’ve balanced creative direction with aero considerations to create a striking 2026 competitor. Thank you to our shareholders, partners, fans, and the incredible team behind the scenes who’ve worked tirelessly to get us to this point in an exciting new era of Formula 1. We’re all excited to see it hit the track.”
The MCL40 is here.
Take a look at the YouTube video from Matt & Tommy as they take a deep dive into the new liery and car for McLaren after watching the official reveal: Our Reaction to the McLaren F1 Car Launch | P1 with Matt & Tommy
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