McLaren, the reigning F1 Constructors’ World Champions two years in a row, launch their much anticipated 2026 livery on the MCL40.
The Woking-based team have risen to success in the last 2 years, winning the 2024 and 2025 Constructors Championships along with their British driver Lando Norris winning the F1 World Drivers’ Championship last season.
How are the 2026 F1 cars different from the 2025 cars?
McLaren have revealed their livery for the 2026 FIA F1 World Championship. The 2026 season however, comes with different rules and regulations that the teams have had to follow.
Over the last few seasons, McLaren and Red Bull have been dominant at the front of the pack. During the 2025 season, McLaren scored a record breaking 34 podiums. This record was previously held by Mercedes, with 33 podiums in the 2016 F1 season.
The 2026 F1 season brings a whole new set of regulations that the teams had to follow while creating their 2026 challenger. The cars are now shorter, narrower and lighter. F1 cars are dropping 30kg of weight ahead of the 2026 season. The wheel base and the width of the car itself has been reduced in size. As well as this, the front wing incorporates narrower elements. These changes should allow for closer, more competitive racing. The cars are also fitted with ‘Active Aero’ front and rear wings that can adjust depending on where the car is on the track.
McLaren’s success with Zak Brown
McLaren’s Zak Brown joined the team in 2017 and became CEO in 2018. Since then, he has transformed it’s brand and culture as well as expanding McLaren into the world of global motorsport. In 2017, McLaren finished the F1 championship in 9th place. Since then, the team have climed their way back up through the rankings.
| Year | Position |
| 2017 | 9th |
| 2018 | 6th |
| 2019 | 4th |
| 2020 | 3rd |
| 2021 | 4th |
| 2022 | 5th |
| 2023 | 4th |
| 2024 | 1st |
| 2025 | 1st |
McLaren’s recent Championship winning years
The 2024 season saw some firsts for the McLaren drivers. Lando Norris scored his maiden Formula One race win during Round 6 at the F1 Miami GP. Piastri then went onto achieve his first Formula One victory at the Hungarian GP.
Both drivers went on to score multiple race wins during the 2024 F1 season, helping McLaren score enough points to challenge Ferrari for P1 in the constructors championship.
This Championship went down the the final race in Abu Dhabi. McLaren led Ferrari by 21 points. McLaren had the perfect start to the weekend, Norris qualified P1, and Piastri P2. With the Ferrari drivers Sainz and Leclerc qualifiying P3 and P14.
Disaster struck for McLaren at turn 1 when Max Verstappen attempted a move on Piastri, making contact. This meant the Australian dropped down to P19 on lap 1. The race ended with Norris securing the victory from Sainz and Leclerc, leading every lap of the race.
2024 was McLaren’s first F1 Constructors Championship win since 1998 when David Coulthard and Mika Häkkinen drove for the team.
2025, the year McLaren dominated
The 2025 F1 season was a dominant year for McLaren. Not only were they fighting for the Constructors Championship, but both of their drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, were battling it out for their first ever F1 World Drivers Championship win.
During 2025, McLaren achieved 34 podiums, 14 of which were celebrated from the top step. The team were able to clinch their 10th Constructors Championship during round 18 at the Singapore GP. This was their first back-to-back championship in 34 years.
However, the 2025 season wasn’t the smoothest of rides for McLaren, they were criticised for some strategy decisons and their ‘Papaya Rules’ approach to racing. Various mistakes allowed Red Bull’s Max Verstappen the opportunity to be in the mix for the Drivers Championship.
Norris secured his first F1 World Drivers Championship after finishing P3 at the Abu Dhabi GP, 2 points ahead of Verstappen and 13 points ahead of Piastri. The 26-year-old achieved McLaren’s first Drivers’ Championship since Lewis Hamilton in 2008.
2026 McLaren F1 Drivers: Lando Norris
Since joining McLaren as their Test and Simulator Driver in 2017 and securing his F1 seat alongside Carlos Sainz at 19 years old in 2019, Norris has scored 44 podiums. In 2025, Norris broke the record for the most podiums scored by a McLaren driver in a season with 18.
Lando Norris secured his first Drivers Championship during the 2025 season and will hope to match the success he had during 2025 for the 2026 F1 season.
| Race Starts | 152 |
| Podiums | 44 |
| Wins | 11 |
| Pole Positions | 16 |
| Championships | 1 |
| DNFs | 13 |
Lando Norris has never finished below P11 in the Drivers Championship. Improving every year since his debut in 2019. The Brit has also never lost a qualifying head-to-head in his F1 career.
2026 McLaren F1 Drivers: Oscar Piastri
Piastri joined McLaren in 2023, replacing fellow Aussie, Daniel Ricciardo. In only his third year in Formula One he was fighting for his first Drivers World Championship when he clinched the lead at the F1 Saudi Arabian GP. After a dip in the second half of the 2025 F1 season, Oscar Piastri lost the lead to his McLaren teammate.
The 24-year-old finished the 2025 season in P3. He secured 7 Grand Prix wins and 16 podiums which is his highest ever in a season.
| Race Starts | 70 |
| Podiums | 26 |
| Wins | 9 |
| Pole Positions | 6 |
| Championships | 0 |
| DNFs | 4 |
In 2025, Oscar Piastri achieved his highest ever finish in the drivers championship with P3. He has previously finished 4th and 9th. however, this year the Aussie is hoping to claim his first F1 Drivers Championship.
2026 F1: A new era for McLaren begins with a tweaked livery
McLaren’s 2026 livery launch begins their journey into the new F1 era. The way the 2026 season will shape out is unknown, with new rules and regulations in place to improve racing and introduce Formula One to a more sustainable side of motorsport.
Official Pre-season testing begins in Bahrain on the 11th of February and the first round of the season takes place in Australia from the 6th-8th of March.
