McLaren shook down its MCL40 with a testing livery in Barcelona, Spain. Ahead of the second test in Bahrain, the Woking-based F1 team pulled the covers off its new papaya-painted car.
This year’s livery is a continuation of the championship-winning theme, with only a few alterations to suit the 2026 regulations.
McLaren will take to the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain on February 10 for a promotional filming day before the second test, which begins on February 11.
“We’re delighted to present our 2026 challenger’s livery from our second home, Bahrain,” said McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown.
“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.
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“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.”
McLaren comes into the 2026 season having won last year’s drivers’ and constructors’ championships.
McLaren team principal Andre Stella said the team is well aware of the new challenge at hand, amid sweeping regulations reform.
“It’s fantastic to reveal the livery for our 2026 challenger, the MCL40, as we reach an important milestone in our team’s incredible work and dedication before we begin racing this year,” said Stella.
“2026 marks a new challenge as we take on a new era of Formula 1 regulations. We also go into the season as an independent challenger facing five top manufacturers who all want to beat us.
“While we have the benefit of the lessons learned from our success in the past few years, the whole grid is restarting from zero and our past achievements count for nothing.
“Our objective is to hit the ground running, and we have the best combination of team, driver pairing, collaboration with Mercedes HPP, partners, and fans to be able to do this.
“We will continue to focus on creating the conditions to succeed as we approach our biggest challenge to date.
“It should be a fantastic season of racing for the fans, and we’re excited to get going.”
The 2026 season begins in earnest on March 5-8 with the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park.
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