McLaren has officially revealed the race livery of its 2026 Formula 1 car, the MCL40, completing the final visual step before the new season begins in Bahrain, just days before the first official pre-season test.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri first ran the MCL40 during shakedown in Barcelona last month, where the car appeared in a temporary grey and black design. With testing now imminent, McLaren has confirmed the definitive colour scheme that will carry the team into the 2026 campaign.
The MCL40 continues McLaren’s modern design identity, with papaya orange once again serving as the dominant colour. The new livery closely mirrors the visual language of the team’s most recent championship-winning cars, reinforcing continuity as McLaren enters the new regulatory era.
A key change for 2026 is the expanded presence of Mastercard, which has upgraded its partnership with McLaren to become the team’s title sponsor. The agreement gives the brand significantly increased visibility on the MCL40 and represents McLaren’s first naming-rights sponsorship since the Vodafone era more than a decade ago. The move reflects the team’s growing commercial strength following its on-track resurgence.
McLaren arrives into the 2026 season as the reigning benchmark in Formula 1. Lando Norris secured his maiden World Championship at the Abu Dhabi season finale last year, edging Max Verstappen by just two points in one of the closest title deciders in recent history. The team itself had already sealed the Constructors’ Championship earlier in the season, confirming its second consecutive title at the Singapore Grand Prix.
With a settled driver pairing, renewed commercial backing and a clear visual identity, the MCL40 is set to represent McLaren throughout the 2026 season. Attention now turns to Bahrain, where the first on-track data will begin to reveal whether the team can carry its championship momentum into Formula 1’s new era.
