McLaren wins race… to reveal its 2024 F1 livery

We swear F1 launch season gets earlier every year: McLaren has fired the starting pistol on this year’s annual 3D-render bender, with this here livery that builds in various elements from some of last season’s (many) one-offs.

Called the MCL38, McLaren’s new challenger gets much papaya and anthracite, presumably to stop us complaining about the grid being too dark. Because, y’know, weight saving.

The 2024 design incorporates some of the stuff seen on last year’s ‘Stealth Mode’ paint job (used exclusively at the Singapore Grand Prix), and check out Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri’s driver numbers: now slapped on in chrome, a la the British GP special from last July.

Note that, while this is McLaren’s new livery, this is not the new car: that will be unveiled at a proper launch on 14 February, a week before it takes to the track for pre-season testing in Bahrain.

“We’re delighted to launch our 2024 Formula 1 livery ahead of the new season,” said team CEO Zak Brown. “The design looks awesome, and I can’t wait to go racing and see it come to life on track next month.

“We didn’t start 2023 as we wanted but Andrea [Stella] and the team did a great job following the organisational restructure coming into action, and the hard work continues as we carry that excellent momentum into the 2024 campaign."

Ah yes. McLaren started 2023 with a dud of a car, but aerodynamic updates sent it skyrocketing up the grid: Oscar Piastri scored a first ever sprint race victory and no one - not ever Red Bull’s Sergio Perez - finished runner-up to Max Verstappen more than Lando Norris in another fine campaign for the Briton.

“I’m looking forward to the new season ahead, it will be my sixth in Formula 1 and I'm hoping to carry the momentum we gained as a team at the end of last season to hit the ground running in Bahrain,” said Norris. “The new livery looks great with the inclusion of segments from last year’s enhancements, I’m sure the fans will love it as much as me.

“Everyone at the factory has worked incredibly hard in the off season, and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the 2024 car to challenge our competitors towards the front of the grid.”

And Piastri added: “The 2024 livery looks really cool and I'm looking forward to racing in the iconic colours of McLaren for a second season. I made some special memories with the team in my rookie year, securing two podiums and a Sprint win.

“I‘m going to work hard alongside the whole team to take those results into the start of the new season and compete well with our competitors to give the fans more memorable moments.”

Is this the year McLaren finally gets back to winning ways?