World champion McLaren has revealed the car livery it will use in races when it defends its F1 world title in the 2026 season.
Unveiling the MCL40’s color scheme in Bahrain on the eve of pre-season testing, which begins on Wednesday, McLaren has deliberately stuck to its tried-and-true livery scheme for the challenger, where everything has changed for F1’s radical new regulation era.
The 2026 car ran in a one-off dark livery during its debut at Barcelona Shakedown last month, but the race livery closely resembles its appearance from the past two seasons, with the now trademark papaya color returning as the team’s main color for the ninth campaign.
“We have no intention of changing what has been successful,” CEO Zac Brown said.
Britain’s Lando Norris is defending the drivers’ championship he won at the final race of last season, with teammate Oscar Piastri looking to bounce back after a disappointing third F1 season, the best of the Australian’s career.
“I really liked the test livery we did, but this is a livery that always gets better all season on TV,” Norris said.
“So we stick with what works.”
McLaren, which will once again be powered by a Mercedes powertrain widely expected to produce a class-leading engine in 2026, has won back-to-back constructors’ championships, but team principals have stressed this winter that the entire grid will start fresh given the comprehensive nature of the sport’s new chassis and power unit regulations.
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McLaren driver Lando Norris believes Mercedes driver George Russell will soon win the championship.
“I’m not going to bet on our people, but this sport is incredibly competitive and this is going to be a pretty scary season,” Brown added.
Sky Sports F1 Bahrain test schedule
Test 1: Wednesday 11th, Thursday 12th, Friday 13th February
3:00 PM: Final Hours of Track Driving Live 8:00 PM: Test Lap 8:30 PM: Ted’s Test Notebook
Test 2: Wednesday 18th, Thursday 19th, Friday 20th February
6:50am to 11:05am: Morning session live 11:55am to 4:10pm: Afternoon session live 8pm: Test lap
Watch every race of the 2026 F1 season live on Sky Sports, including the Australian Grand Prix from March 6-8. Stream Sky Sports now – cancel anytime with no contract
