McLaren have unveiled their MCL40 car which will compete in the 2026 Formula One season.
This season marks a revamp of technical regulations as McLaren enters the campaign as the defending constructors’ champions, having won the teams’ title in 2024 & 25 seasons respectively.
The campaign also sees McLaren for the first time since 2009 field the reigning world champion after Lando Norris won his maiden F1 title in a three-way title decider at the 2025 Abu Dhabi season finale, with the Brit again partnered by Oscar Piastri for a fourth consecutive season.
Both drivers were present at the launch in Sakhir, Bahrain which saw McLaren retain last season’s livery of predominantly orange front nose with black on the tip, whilst the sidepods has retained the black colour scheme, but the engine cover has been tweaked to two patches of papaya separated by black across the middle.
Piastri upon the livery reveal stated that the speeds impressed him despite the new technical regulations having only just come into effect.
“It’s quick and especially in a straight line these days with the new car, the acceleration with these new Formula 1 cars are seriously impressive.”
Norris meanwhile is pleased to retain the papaya and black colours of last season’s MCL39 car and is keen to try and push for more success.
“The design looks great and I’m excited to continue racing in the colours which were part of our huge success last year.
“To win the Championship with the team I’ve been with since the beginning was incredible. We’re coming into this year as World Champions and I’m excited to see what we can achieve in this new era of Formula 1.”
CEO, Zak Brown added that they didn’t want to make any tweaks which could destabilise their success of recent seasons.
“We don’t want to change what has been successful.”
McLaren have already shaken down their car at the pre-season shakedown test with Team Principal, Andrea Stella having subsequently explained to mclaren.com that the car performance “was in line with expectations and, above all, with the simulations.”
He however iterated that every lap will matter in learning how to get to grips with the new regulations and improving the car across the season.
“What emerged clearly is that the learning curve is very steep for everyone – drivers and teams alike – which means that every lap teaches you something useful in terms of performance. After all, it was natural to expect such a scenario, considering that these cars are totally new, from A to Z.
“We know that the MCL40 is a good starting point, but now we have to work hard to develop it and, through our knowledge the car, improve the overall performance of the package, both for the immediate future and to further define the development lines during the season.”
CEO, Zak Brown added at the launch that the team “are just scratching the surface” in understanding the new car and will make for a “fascinating” development journey.
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