McLaren unveil 2026 F1 Car as Lando Norris releases statement ahead of title defence
McLaren have pulled the covers off their 2026 Formula 1 challenger at a special event in Bahrain this afternoon.
The Woking-based squad presented the MCL40’s race livery during a live-streamed reveal at the Bahrain International Circuit, with the car sporting their familiar papaya orange colour scheme for a ninth consecutive season.
It’s a deliberate choice from the double world champions, who ran a temporary black design during last month’s Barcelona shakedown.
“We don’t want to change what’s been successful,” said chief executive Zak Brown.
The McLaren Formula 1 team has officially unveiled its MCL40
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MCLAREN
Pre-season testing kicks off at the same venue on Wednesday, with two three-day sessions scheduled before March’s Melbourne opener.
Defending drivers’ champion Norris and his teammate Piastri were both on hand for the big reveal, alongside team principal Andrea Stella and Brown.
Australian racer Piastri was chuffed with what he saw, particularly the extra splash of orange at the front.
“I think it looks great, obviously with a bit more papaya this year, especially at the front, which is nice,” he said. “It’s in-keeping with the livery that has been very successful for the past few years.”
Norris, who pipped Max Verstappen to last year’s title, admitted he loved the all-black test car but reckons the papaya design works better on television throughout the season.
Team principal Stella is confident the MCL40 will be competitive, though he’s been clear that this year’s new regulations mean everyone starts from scratch.
McLaren’s plan under Zak Brown has been ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’
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MCLAREN
“Irrespective of the pecking order at the first race, I think the first season will be a game of development and who will have developed the most may be the successful one at the end of this season,” he said.
Stella added that the team had carefully balanced resources between chasing last year’s titles and building their 2026 machine.
“We think we have achieved the right balance, so we are optimistic that the MCL40 will be a strong contender.”
McLaren’s MHL40 has been tipped to be a strong contender this year
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MCLAREN
Brown is backing Norris to come out swinging in defence of his crown, describing the British driver as “highly motivated” with sky-high confidence.
“There are some drivers who say: ‘I’ve won it and I’m done.’ And then you have drivers like Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Michael Schuamcher, who say: ‘I have done it once and I want to win it twice, three, four times,'” Brown explained.
The American CEO made clear the team’s priority is giving both Norris and Piastri machinery capable of fighting at the front.
“If we can do that, then both Oscar and Lando will be in with a shout.”
