McLaren unveil new livery ahead of Bahrain tests

Dubai: This is the Formula 1 season when the hunter becomes the hunted, something the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will be well aware of as they dust off the off-season cobwebs and get ready to defend the Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles with the additional hurdle of the new rules for 2026 as every team up and down the grid try to master the regulation changes as early as possible.

And just two days before the crucial Bahrain pre-season performance tests, the world champions have finally unveiled their new livery for the 2026 season in a live event broadcast from the Bahrain International Circuit. The Woking-based outfit headed to the track early to showcase their striking livery, maintaining the papaya colour palette that adorned last season’s championship-winning MCL39.

“It’s good to be back in Bahrain to reveal the livery for this season,” said Norris. “The design looks great and I’m excited to continue racing in the colours which were part of our huge success last year.

“To win the Championship with the team I’ve been with since the beginning was incredible. We’re coming into this year as World Champions and I’m excited to see what we can achieve in this new era of Formula 1.

“I’m ready for this year and I can’t wait to get back on track and keep pushing forward.”

Piastri added: “The new livery on our MCL40 looks excellent, and it’s great that we have carried through our championship-winning design from 2025. It’s always fun to race in a papaya car. Thank you to everyone back at the factory, our fans and our partners for their support.

“We’ve got a big challenge ahead with the new regulations, but I come into this year with a lot of positivity and ready to tackle this new era of Formula 1 head on. We’ve taken a lot of good learnings from last year, so I am feeling stronger than ever, and I look forward to seeing what we can achieve this year – let’s do it!”

The MCL40 made its on-track debut at the recent Barcelona Shakedown, sporting a muted black and grey one-off livery as they put the Mercedes-supplied power units through their paces ahead of the brand new season.

McLaren’s 2026 livery will make its first appearance on track on February 11-13 as all 11 teams set out to gather as much data as possible during the first official pre-season test in Bahrain, with a final testing opportunity coming at the same track on February 18-20.