Formula 1 News: McLaren reveal official 2026 Livery
McLaren Racing today revealed the livery for the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team’s MCL40, its 2026 challenger.
Streamed live from the home of our long-standing shareholders, Bahrain, CEO Zak Brown, Team Principal Andrea Stella, drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, Chief Marketing Officer Lou McEwen, and Chief Designer Rob Marshall showcased the papaya livery on the team’s new car.
Historically, when winning a Championship, McLaren have carried the successful livery through to the following season. After the victories in the 2025 Constructors’ and Drivers’ World Championships, the 2026 livery continues this tradition, using the iconic papaya color palette alongside striking anthracite and small hints of teal.
This design language also carries through to the drivers’ overalls, where Lando and Oscar will don an all-papaya fronted fire suit, with an all-anthracite back, highlighting the drivers’ numbers 1 and 81 in the team’s colors.
The team continues to be supported by some of the world’s biggest brands. The representation of many of these on the livery highlights the key role they play in the McLaren Mastercard F1 Team’s ability to go racing.
The MCL40 made its on-track debut in the recent Barcelona Pre-Season Shakedown and was developed under the new regulations, which challenged teams to design entirely new cars. The new livery will take to the track on Tuesday, 10 February for the team’s promotional filming day, ahead of the first Bahrain Pre-Season Test, commencing on Wednesday, 11 February.
Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, said:
“We’re delighted to present our 2026 challenger’s livery from our second home, Bahrain. The iconic papaya continues on the MCL40 as we keep our tradition of carrying Championship-winning liveries through to the next season. Racing performance is also at the forefront of design when exploring creative routes, and we’ve balanced creative direction with aero considerations to create this striking 2026 competitor.
“Thank you to all our committed shareholders and partners, without whom we simply wouldn’t be able to go racing, to our fans for their continued support, and to our team of people who have worked tirelessly to get us to this point in the exciting new era of Formula 1. We’re all excited to see it hit the track.”