McLaren Unveil Papaya-Clad MCL40 Ahead of 2026 F1 Season

McLaren have officially unveiled their 2026 Formula 1 challenger, lifting the covers on the MCL40 during a live-streamed launch from Bahrain on Monday.

Drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were in attendance alongside team principal Andrea Stella and CEO Zak Brown, as the team revealed its new livery ahead of this week’s pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, which gets underway on Wednesday.

Speaking immediately after the reveal, Piastri welcomed the evolution of McLaren’s trademark look, noting an increased presence of the team’s iconic papaya orange.

“I think it looks great, obviously with a bit more papaya this year, especially at the front, which is nice,” the Australian said. “It’s in keeping with a livery that’s been very successful over the past few years. It’s only a small tweak, but it’s good to see more papaya on there.”

Those comments reflect McLaren’s recent success, with the team having claimed the Constructors’ Championship in each of the past two seasons.

Norris, meanwhile, enters 2026 as the reigning Drivers’ Champion after defeating Max Verstappen in last year’s title fight. Echoing his team-mate’s thoughts, the Briton was pleased with the continuity in design.

“Similar things, just some small tweaks like Oscar said,” Norris explained. “The main thing is that we’ve kept the papaya and haven’t changed too much. As much as I loved the all-black test livery, this is the one that’s going to look better across the season on TV.”

Brown played a central role in the unveiling, with the launch highlighting McLaren’s major commercial partners, including Mastercard, Google and OKX, sponsorships widely credited to the American executive’s leadership. He described the largely unchanged look as a deliberate decision.

“We don’t want to change what’s been successful, and the papaya looks amazing,” Brown said. “Our partners are incredible Mastercard, Google with Gemini, OKX, and so many others. The car looks a little bit smaller, and when you hear it, it sounds great with the Mercedes HPP power unit. I’m really looking forward to going racing.”

The MCL40 previously ran a one-off livery during its Barcelona shakedown at the end of January, though the focus there was firmly on data collection and giving the drivers their first taste of the new machinery.

Reflecting on that initial outing, Piastri added: “It was great to get back on track and start feeling just how different these cars are going to be from a lot of different angles.”

All eyes now turn to Bahrain, where McLaren will begin its first proper running of the MCL40 ahead of the 2026 season.

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Written by

James Rees

A passionate motorsport journalist from Wales, with over 30 years of love for the sport. A dedicated father of three, working as a content manager, covering the fast-paced world of Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3, Formula E, and IndyCar.

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