McLaren has officially unveiled its livery for the 2026 Formula 1 season, the MCL40. At a live event in Bahrain, the Woking outfit removed the covers from their 2026-season chassis ahead of the first pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit.
McLaren’s 2026 challenger
McLaren has carried on its tradition of carrying a championship-winning livery through to the following season with the MCL40. Following its success in the 2025 Formula 1 season and having won both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship, the MCL40 will continue the tradition. The Woking outfit’s new chassis features the same iconic papaya colour palette with striking anthracite and subtle hints of teal throughout.
The design will also carry onto the drivers’ overalls for the season, with both drivers donning all-papaya fronted fire suits.
CEO of McLaren Racing, Zak Brown, shared his hopes for the upcoming season during the event and highlighted the creative process behind the MCL40. He also expressed his excitement about getting back on track at the season opener in Melbourne.
“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.”
The reigning champions
After their continued resurgence in 2024, McLaren proved to be dominant throughout the 2025 Formula 1 season, ending the campaign with its second consecutive Teams’ Championship. The team also clinched their first Drivers’ Championship in 17 years with Lando Norris. The Woking outfit will be looking to continue on the momentum heading into the new technical regulation era of the sport.
In the first half of the season, McLaren was quick to build a sizeable lead over their rivals on the grid in the Standings. The team scored a total of 11 race wins in the first 14 rounds of the 2025 racing calendar.
However, the resurgence of four-time world champion Max Verstappen proved to make a dent in the Woking outfit’s momentum in the second half. While both drivers, Norris and Piastri, remained in title contention throughout the season, Verstappen was quick to catch up, adding more race victories to his tally. Despite the dominant season, McLaren still faced multiple difficult moments throughout. Most notably, the team’s double disqualification at the 2025 Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
McLaren will be aiming to recreate yet another championship-winning season, but will the team be able to adapt to the new technical regulations quickly enough to keep their rivals at bay?
McLaren’s 2026 driver lineup
Similar to the majority of the 2026 Formula 1 grid, McLaren will be entering the upcoming season with an unchanged line-up of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Norris will be entering the upcoming season as the reigning World Champion for the first time. The Briton who ended Verstappen’s four-season championship-winning stint clinched the title by just two points. He will be racing the 2026 Formula 1 season under the number 1 on his car instead of his usual number 4. Norris truly gained momentum in the second half of the 2025 season and scored back-to-back wins in Mexico and Sao Paulo, which saw him retake the championship lead from teammate Piastri. He concluded the season with a total of 7 wins and 18 podiums added to his tally. The Briton enters the upcoming season with higher expectations from the team and himself. Will he be able to defend the title in the new technical regulation era?
On the other side of the garage is Oscar Piastri. The Australian driver ended the 2025 Formula 1 season third in the Drivers’ Championship with a total of 410 points. He made a total of 16 podium appearances and added 7 race wins under his belt. The 7 race victories came from the first half of the season, where Piastri looked dominant, leading the Standings for the majority of the season. However, the second half of the season proved to be more challenging with the Australian finishing off the podium for six consecutive rounds. This led both Norris and Verstappen to overtake him in the standings. Despite this, he soon refound his rhythm and finished the season on a high note. Piastri will be entering the upcoming season intending to redeem himself and clinch the title.
