Jordan's Track Talk

Tag: McLaren

  • F1 Academy – Saudi Arabia – Round-Up

    Day 1, Practice-

    Maya Weug got Round 2 off to a strong start as the Ferrari driver snatched the fastest time away from Alisha Palmowski with a last-gasp effort as the chequered flag was flown.

    It was nip and tuck at the top of the timing sheets, with the leading duo separated by 0.030s followed by Standings leader Doriane Pin in third.

    With 40 minutes to get reacquainted with both the low-grip and the scorching temperatures, the field headed out for their installation laps. It would take 10 minutes before Nicole Havrda got the first time of the day on the board with a 2:11.374.

    Pin would immediately lower the early benchmark to a 2:07.687 before moving into the 2:06s. Weug was next to go quickest on a 2:06.286 and then clocked in an improved time to put a six tenths buffer between herself and Pin, with Lia Block a further two tenths back in third.

    Palmowski was the next driver to move into second, reducing the gap out front to four tenths.
    Exploring the limits, Farah AlYousef brought out the yellow flags with 15 minutes remaining after the Wild Card driver spun on to the run-off into the final corner.

    Into the final three minutes, Pin seized the P1 spot on a 2:05.610, pipping Wug by 0.06s. However the times weren’t done falling yet as Weug restored herself to the top of the order moments before the chequered flag came out.

    A last second improvement to 2:-5.387 from Palmowski seemed to get the job done by 0.052s, but Weug had one final push remaining to regain the fastest lap of the session with a 2:05.357.

    Qualifying-

    Chloe Chambers lit up the Jeddah Corniche Circuit to claim her first pole position in F1 Academy, winning out in a late three-car battle in qualifying.

    The Red Bull Ford driver stamped her mark on the timesheets with three minutes to go and nobody’s final attempts could touch her 2:04.320.
    Doriane Pin was her closest rival in second, two and a half tenths back as Maya Weug completed the top three.

    Bolting on a fresh set of Pirelli tyres for Qualifying under the floodlights, Ella Lloyd got the first time on the board, posting a 2:06.550 with a big lock-up from the McLaren driver into the final corner.
    Despite improving to a 2:06.307 on her next attempt, she was demoted to P2 by practice pace-setter Weug, who went 0.480s clear of Lloyd and her Rodin Motorsport teammates Chloe Chong and Emma Felbermayr.

    Their early rhythm would be interrupted by the Red Flag at the 23 minute mark as Lia Block clipped the inside wall into the final corner and crashed into the barrier.

    Once running resumed, the drivers squabbled over track position but Lloyd took advantage of her clean air to go top on a 2:05.635.
    This was only for Weug to once again eclipse her by 0.051s ahead of Alba Larsen who moved her Tommy Hilfiger can into the top three.

    Another flying lap complete and Alisha Palmowski was next to go fastest, but the Red Bull Racing driver’s hold would be brief.
    Chambers rose to the top of the timing screens, three tenths clear of Larsen.

    Whilst several of her rivals pitted around the halfway point, Chambers pushed on, becoming the first driver into the 2:04s. Her Campos Racing teammate Palmowski who also improved, closing to within 0.063s of the American.

    Palmowski wasn’t done there, going fastest of all on a 2:04.864. Pin, who languished down in P11, then shot up to the top of the order by 0.048s.
    Benefitting from the tow behind Lloyd, Chambers threw down the gauntlet with a 2:04.320 to take provisional pole.

    Pin’s final two attempts weren’t enough to deny Campos their second pole position in F1 Academy, although the Mercedes driver did reduce the deficit down to two tenths.

    Weug’s last-gasp improvement at the chequered flag was enough for third, with the rest of the top six holding firm.
    The top 10 are- Pole: Chambers, P2: Pin, P3: Weug, P4: Palmowski, P5: Larsen, P6: Hausmann, P7: Llloyd, P8: Felbermayr, P9: Gademan and P10: Chong.

    Day 2, Race 1-

    Ella Lloyd claimed a masterful maiden F1 Academy victory around the Jeddah Corniche Circuit as she seized the lead from her Rodin Motorsport teammate Emma Felbermayr at the first corner to win race 1.

    Despite a tantalising Safety Car restart, and immense pressure from Ferrari’s Maya Weug, the McLaren driver maintained first position all the way to the chequered flag.

    Although Felbermayr started on reverse grid pole, it was Lloyd who got the better launch at lights out as she sailed into the lead of the race, quickly establishing a sturdy gap back to her teammate.
    There was another great start for Palmowski down in P5 – she charged through to break into the top three, surviving an additional challenge from Alba Larsen before she masterfully took P2 on the road from Felbermayr.

    The drivers jostled for position across the field throughout the opening laps, with Mercedes’ Doriane Pin getting stuck into an intense battle with Tina Hausmann as Weug improved to P3 just ahead.

    Further back, disaster struck for Lia Block, who failed to qualify for a second round in a row – the American crashed out of the session.

    Whilst fighting to progress up the order, Block was tagged from behind by Haas driver Courtney Crone, spinning her car to face in the wrong direction on track.
    She managed to get going once again, but it was a different story for Chloe Chong, whose car was damaged as she tried to take avoiding action in the incident.

    The chaos triggered an appearance by the Safety Car to neutralise the pack, putting Lloyd under pressure to execute a flawless restart.

    Meanwhile, Felbermayr lost out for a second time as she dropped two positions to Pin and Hausmann. The Mercedes driver, and leader in the Drivers’ standings, then set out to hunt down Larsen in P4, with the two battling around the circuit until Pin finally claimed the spot with a superb overtake down the inside on Lap 9.

    A flurry of penalties were dealt out on the next lap – Wild Card driver Farah AlYousef received a five-second penalty for a false start, while Crone was handed a 10 second penalty for causing a collision with Block.

    Back at the front, there was no time to take a breath even as Race 1 neared its end. On Lap 12 of 13, Ferrari driver Weug skilfully snatched P2 from Palmowski, leaving the latter at the mercy of Pin.

    Despite Lloyd’s earlier dominance, Weug was just half a second behind on the final lap, filling the British racer’s mirrors as the two fought in a drag race to chequered flag.
    Just one-tenth separated the duo over the line, but Lloyd held on brilliantly to secure her first victory in the series.

    The full points finishes are- P1: Lloyd, P2: Weug, P3: Palmowski, P4: Pin, P5: Larsen, P6: Hausmann, P7: Chambers, P8: Gademan.

    Day 3, Race 2-

    Maya Weug battled relentlessly to claim her first win of the season ahead of Chloe Chambers, with the Red Bull Ford driver finishing first on the road before being demoted to due to a penalty that arose for her intense on track contest with the Ferrari driver.

    It was a flawless getaway for first-time polesitter Chambers despite the pressure of Doriane Pin lining up alongside her, who dominated in Jeddah last season.
    The American executed a strong launch while Pin lost her P2 spot to the charging Weug.

    Focusing on keeping the gap to Chambers as small as possible, the Ferrari driver kicked off a thrilling wheel-to-wheel battle for first place on the track – an attempted overtake round the outside of the American resulted in Weug taking a trip onto the run-off area.

    But the fight at the front was far from over as Weug rattled over the kerb to send her car momentarily into the air, once again forcing her to drive wide and allowing Chambers to reclaim the lead.

    Chambers began to build a small lead over her rivals, getting up to over a second for a short period, but her hopes of clinging onto the lead were dashed as she was handed a five second time penalty for forcing Weug off the track at Turn 22 during their tantalising battle.

    With the field settling into a rhythm and three laps remaining, Chambers continued to extend her advantage at the front in order to salvage a potential podium.

    The American racer needed a lap of qualifying speed to minimise her penalty and only drop her to P2, resulting in a fight on the timing sheets between her and Pin – the two were ultimately split by less than one tenth at the chequered flag, meaning that Chambers lost just one position.

    She may have crossed the line in second the road, but the penalty promoted Weug to victory, making her the first Ferrari driver to win at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Weug, P2: Chambers, P3: Pin, P4: Palmowski, P5: Larsen, P6: Hausmann, P7: Gademan, P8: Lloyd, P9: Ciconte and P10: Chong.

  • R2 – China

    Oscar Piastri bounced back from the disappointment of his late-race mistake at last week’s 2025 season opener in Australia by converting pole position into an assured victory during the Chinese Grand Prix – leading home team mate Lando Norris for a McLaren 1-2.

    Piastri controlled Sunday’s 56 lap race at the Shanghai International Circuit from start to finish, never putting a foot wrong in a much calmer second race of the season that centred around whether drivers would complete one or two pit stops.

    As it transpired, the first five finishes and the vast majority of the field only visited the pits once, with Piastri building and managing a gap back to Norris across their two stints to take the chequered flag and kick off his challenge for the title.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Piastri, P2: Norris, P3: Russell, P4: Verstappen, P5: Leclerc, P6: Hamilton, P7: Ocon, P8: Antonelli, P9: Albon and P10: Bearman.

    However, after the race there was drama from the FIA, they have disqualified Leclerc and Gasly for their cars being found to be underweight in post-race checks.
    Not only this Hamilton has also been disqualified for his rear skid block which was found to be under the minimum thickness.

    This means that the new top 10 is- P1: Piastri, P2: Norris, P3: Russell, P4: Verstappen, P5: Ocon, P6: Antonelli, P7: Albon, P8: Bearman, P9: Stroll and P10: Sainz.

    What a result for McLaren, a lovely 1-2 finish for the team, that is what they would’ve wanted last weekend but either way it’s a massive points haul for the team.
    Piastri had a dominating weekend anyway, P2 in the Sprint Race, Pole and then Win. Norris had a good race, made up for the Sprint. He pretty much had a smooth race apart from the brake problems at the end but he kept it cool, calm and collected.

    Russell had a lovely race, P3! He pretty much kept out of trouble and was putting pressure on Lando towards the end which is good to see. As for his teammate, Antonelli finished 6th by the time disqualifications come into it, another decent points haul for him and more learning.

    A good race for Verstappen, he lost quite a few places at the start, but after switching tyres and during the second half of the race, the Dutchman put pressure on the Ferrari’s and managed to make some ground back up.

    It was a decent race for Ferrari, P5 and P6, but after the race just ruined their weekend. A DSQ for both drivers so they come away from the Grand Prix with no points (apart from Sprint). Let’s hope they learn from this and don’t let it happen again as they’ve missed out on decent points…

    A double points finish for Haas!! P5 for Ocon and P8 Bearman, this amount of points so early on will make a big difference to the end of the season as the mid-field is going to be so close!

    Again double points for Williams, which means Sainz’s first point for the team. He had a bit of a rough weekend for the team, still struggling with the car but at least it’s better than last weekend.

    Now onto the next race weekend, we have a break now but we are back for Round 3 in Japan on the 4th – 6th of April and it will be a triple header!

  • McLaren reveal Austin livery

    McLaren are the third Formula 1 team to present a special livery for the United States Grand Prix weekend, following on from reveals by fellow teams Haas and Alpine.

    In collaboration with team partner Google, McLaren have created a second edition of their striking chrome-inspired livery, which was first re-imagined at Silverstone last year.

    Featuring in their ‘Chrome Shines Again’ campaign, the livery is a nod to some of McLaren’s former cars, including a modern twist to represent the team’s enduring legacy, with the enhanced chrome representing the two brands’ pursuit of innovative design.

    In addition to Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri’s cars, touches of chrome will be present on their race suits for this weekend.

    McLaren approach the 19th race weekend with a 41 point lead over Red Bull in the constructors’ standings, while Norris is 52 points behind Max Verstappen as they battle for the drivers’ championship heats up.

  • RW 16 – Monza Qualifying

    Lando Norris has continued his promising run of form by taking a stunning pole position for the Italian Grand Prix with the Brit and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri locking out the front row.

    After initially claiming P1 during the first runs of Q3, Norris secured his place by pumping in a time of 1m19.327s just 0.109s ahead of Piastri.

    While the Woking team came out on top, the first six cars were all covered by less than two tenths of a second, with George Russell the closest in P3.

    The full top 10 are- Pole: Norris, P2: Piastri, P3: Russell, P4: Leclerc, P5: Sainz, P6: Hamilton, P7: Verstappen, P8: Perez, P9: Albon and P10: Hulkenberg.

    A lovely result for the McLaren team a 1-2 in qualifying, which is just what they wanted but now its all eyes to the race as they will want to copy and paste and take another victory this season.

    A good result from George, it was so close to pole but not close enough unfortunately, however he will be looking to fight for the win against Norris and Piastri and its not going to be easy.
    Lewis qualified 6th, it could’ve been better but he wasn’t that far away from pole, the top 6 are just so bunched up. He will be looking to

    A very good result for Ferrari at their home grand prix, P4 and P5 for Leclerc and Sainz, I know their not overly happy with it but when you’ve got six drivers fighting for pole you would be disappointed with 4th and 5th. Their aim today will be to get a podium at home, maybe fight for the win depending on their set ups against the other teams.

    Now onto Red Bull, it’s not looking good for the team this weekend. Verstappen qualified 7th and Perez 8th. There is something just not right, Verstappen is saying it, Horner is saying it and no one knows really where to go from here.
    It’s going to get to the point if they carry on like this and Norris / McLaren keeps on being consistent there championships will be under threat…

    A good result for Alex P9! He will be looking for some points this weekend. As well as Nico Hulkenberg who qualified P10, so far the Haas driver has been on fire this weekend his got so much pace!

    Fernando Alonso just missed out on Q3 by one hundredth of a second, which would be quite frustrating for the Spanish driver he will be starting 11th. His teammate Lance Stroll had a bit of shocker being out in Q1 where he will start P17.

    Now to talk about our newest F1 driver, Franco Colapinto, he will be starting his first F1 race 18th, but he did make a slight mistake which could of possibly seen him higher up but his done well so far, it will be interesting to see how he goes in the race!

  • RW 15 – Netherlands

    Round 15 is officially complete, and it was McLaren’s Lando Norris who charged to a statement victory during the Dutch Grand Prix, overhauling Max Verstappen denying the Dutchman what would have been a fourth-straight home triumph.

    Norris lined up on pole position for Sunday’s race but his hopes of converting it into the win took a hit when Verstappen jumped off the line and slotted ahead at the first corner, before moving clear and breaking free of the DRS window.

    However, Norris gathered himself to mount a fight back as the race developed, finding another level of pace to close back in on the three time world champion and reclaim a lead he would not relinquish.

    The top 10 are- P1: Norris, P2: Verstappen, P3: Leclerc, P4: Piastri, P5: Sainz, P6: Perez, P7: Russell, P8: Hamilton, P9: Gasly and P10: Alonso.

    A lovely result for McLaren, P1 for Lando, another win for the Brit! The upgrades McLaren brought to Zandvoort clearly worked as they dominated that race.
    Piastri finished P4, he will probably be a little disappointed with it as he could’ve got on the podium, but he was close, and gave a good fight to Charles Leclerc during the race.

    A good result for Max, P2, I think he was slightly gutted he couldn’t win his own Grand Prix (like anyone would be), but I think from the beginning of the weekend and how they struggled to how they finished it they need to be walking away happy, and look at what is needed to improve on.
    Perez finished in P6, an okay result from the Mexican, I think it could’ve been better but still a good amount of points.

    What a result for Leclerc! Another podium to add to his tally, apparently for the team it was quite unexpected but sometimes that is the best podiums as you know you’ve put a lot of hard work into it.
    Sainz finished P5 which is a very good result for the whole team.

    Now onto Mercedes, a decent drive from Lewis Hamilton after he started P14 and then went onto finish P8, so for him it was probably damage limitation, get into the points and see how many he can get.
    As for Russell, I feel like he kind of got swallowed up by the field, he had a great start to the race getting into P3 but by the time pit stops went around etc he ended up finishing the race in P7…

    A good result for our final points positions, P9 for Gasly which is good to see and P10 for Alonso, probably not the points he wanted after his qualifying position but being realistic with the cars around him it was probably going to end up this way anyway!

    Now, we don’t have to wait too long until the next race as it is this week! We head to Italy for Round 16 where it is the Italian Grand Prix – Ferrari’s home race.

  • RW 13 – Hungary Qualifying

    Lando Norris has taken pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix after a bit of a dramatic qualifying which featured wet-dry conditions, two red flags and a frantic dash to the line.

    After the McLaren driver set an impressive provisional pole time of 1m 15.227s during the opening runs of Q3, the on track action was brought to a halt when Yuki Tsunoda suffered a heavy crash in the RB. As such, the session resumed with just over two minutes remaining.

    Given the changing weather, most of the field were unable to improve and Norris retained P1, ahead of team mate Oscar Piastri by just 0.22s. Max Verstappen who opted not to go for another lap in the final moments finished P3.

    The full top 10 are- Pole: Norris, P2: Piastri, P3: Verstappen, P4: Sainz, P5: Hamilton, P6: Leclerc, P7: Alonso, P8: Stroll, P9: Ricciardo and P10: Tsunoda.

    A lovely result for McLaren, really can’t get better than a 1-2! Both Norris and Piastri will be wanting to go for the win tomorrow, and for the Australian will be wanting to grab his first win in Formula 1, but will Norris allow him to pass?

    A decent result for Verstappen P3, not the worst position to be in for the Dutchman, no doubt he will enjoy himself doing some overtakes.
    However for his teammate, again it wasn’t the best qualifying session where he was out in Q1 where he crashed out and hit the barriers and was unable to continue…

    A good result for Sainz! I feel like he has slipped under the radar in P4, the Spaniard will be aiming for the podium or even try and challenge for the win. His teammate Charles Leclerc had a decent qualifying session to in P6.

    Lewis Hamilton will be starting 5th, and he will be wanting to go for that win again wanting to make it two in a row, will it be in his favour? He won’t have his team mate near him to help out as Russell qualified in P17, who has a lot of work to do to get into the points…

    A decent result for Aston Martin and VCARB, both drivers in the top 10, Ricciardo will be wanting to grab some points this weekend, as he is yet to have a contract for next season…

    I’m very, very happy. Not an easy qualifying, difficult conditions like you said, but always ending up on top is the best part of it also. Happy, especially for the team, a one-two is even better to see, so congrats to the team. It does give us confidence, but we’ve already got confidence so it’s not like we need a lot more of it, or we’re searching for it. We’ve come into this weekend and the last few happy and confident we can do a good job, and we’ve got a good car to fight for pole and that’s exactly what we did today, so like I said a great job by the team; we’ve been improving every weekend, so to end up on pole today is sweet.
    Pole-sitter Norris.

  • RW 10 – Spain Qualifying

    Qualifying is done in Barcelona and we now have had four different drivers on pole in the last four races…

    McLaren driver, Lando Norris secured the second pole position of his Formula 1 career after coming out on top in an epic battle with rival Max Verstappen.

    Norris, who was last on pole at the Sochi Autodrom back in 2021, had trailed Verstappen after the opening Q3 rounds, but produced a stunning final lap of 1m 11.383s to outpace the Dutchman by two hundredths of a second.

    The full top 10 are- Pole: Norris, P2: Verstappen, P3: Hamilton, P4: Russell, P5: Leclerc, P6: Sainz, P7: Gasly, P8: Perez, P9: Ocon and P10: Piastri.

    What a lovely result from McLaren and Lando Norris! Pole position! So far this weekend they have looked really strong so it’s no surprise seeing them up there.
    Piastri starts 10th, obviously it’s not the best place for Aussie. He will be wanting to stay out of trouble at the start of the race and make as many moves as possible as he can.

    Lovely result for Max, I don’t think there was many complaints from him, his teammate finished 8th in qualifying, however he won’t be starting 8th as he has a three place grid penalty from Canada so will be starting 11th.

    A lovely result for both Mercedes! A second row lockout for the team, we saw how they improved last time out in Canada, and it definitely looks like it wasn’t a one-off which is nice to see. Let’s see how well Hamilton and Russell do in the race!

    An okay result for Ferrari, it definitely could’ve been better for the Italian team, it will be all to play for in the race, as Leclerc will be looking to bounce back from an awful Canadian Grand Prix. And Carlos Sainz will be wanting a good home grand prix.

    A decent result for Alpine! Both cars in the top 10 which is good to see, it seems like the improvements they have made to the car recently has helped a little bit.

    Aston Martin are having a bit of trouble at the moment, not the best results for the team lately. Alonso qualified 11th but will be starting 10th and Stroll will be starting 14th…

  • RW 6 – Miami

    WOW… What a race we had in Miami for Round 6 out of 24! We had a first time winner in F1, and some drama along the way, so let’s take a look at it…

    McLaren driver, Lando Norris has now added his name to the list of Formula 1 race WINNERS with a sensational driver for victory in Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix.

    Joining him in the top three is Max Verstappen in 2nd, and in third is Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc!

    Norris ran sixth in the early stages of the race, with fast-starting team mate Oscar Piastri the McLaren man who initially looked most likely to cause an upset, however… A safety car at the midway point played perfectly into the Briton’s hands after he extended his opening stint.
    Norris emerged from the pits in the lead, with Verstappen in second after stopping under normal racing conditions, and despite an initial attack from the latter at the restart.
    A cool, calm and collected performance thereafter and balance problems for Verstappen, meant there was no stopping Norris.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Norris, P2: Verstappen, P3: Leclerc, P4: Perez, P5: Sainz, P6: Hamilton, P7: Tsunoda, P8: Russell, P9: Alonso and P10: Ocon.

    What a result for Mr Lando Norris… I honestly can’t believe it and I bet he can’t either!! Lando had a lovely drive, he kept it cool and calm. I’m so happy for him and the team.
    His teammate, was doing so well, he was running in P2 for a while at the beginning of the race, until he had a collision with Carlos Sainz where he needed to pit for a new front wing which saw the Australian drop all the way down to the bottom of the grid.

    A decent result for Red Bull, obviously Max in P2 and Checo in P4, a nice points haul for the team and keeping their lead in the constructors!

    Ferrari had a very good result aswell, P3 for Leclerc and P5 for Sainz the team will be happy with that result aswell.

    Esteban Ocon has scored his first point this season which is also Alpine’s first point this season as well! It’s just what the team needs, which hopefully will set them onto a better path.

    An unlucky driver was Logan Sargeant, Magnussen was attempting a move on Sargeant through the Turn 2 flick, where contact sent the American into the barriers and the Dane back to the pits for repairs, with the American sustaining terminal damage upon impact which was a disappointing end to the first of three home Grand Prix he is set to take part in.
    Magnussen got given a 10 second time penalty for the clash.

    Now we have a little wait till the next race, we head to Italy for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix which is round 7, on the weekend of 17th to 19th May.

  • RW 5 – China Sprint Qualifying & Race

    Sprint Qualifying-

    The first sprint qualifying of the year is complete, and it was quite entertaining with both rain and fire, yes FIRE..

    But it was Lando Norris who claimed pole during Sprint Qualifying at the Chinese Grand Prix, however it wasn’t easy for the Brit as originally he had his lap time deleted but it was reinstated.
    In the top three joining him, is another Brit, Mr Lewis Hamilton flew to P2, looking like he was going to get pole at one point. Finishing the top three is Fernando Alonso.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Norris, P2: Hamilton, P3: Alonso, P4: Verstappen, P5: Sainz, P6: Perez, P7: Leclerc, P8: Piastri, P9: Bottas and P10: Zhou.

    A great qualifying from Lando Norris, he excelled in the wet and put it on pole when he needed to. His teammate with a decent result aswell starting in P8.

    Verstappen was struggling a little as he skidded off the track a few times too, but with starting P4 his still got plenty to give, and will no doubt make up positions in no time. His teammate also isn’t too far behind him in P6.

    A great result for Kick Sauber! Especially for Zhou as it’s his first ever home grand prix and to have both drivers in the top 10 is a great result, they will want to score points in the Sprint to put towards the constructors championship.

    There was quite a shock for Yuki Tusonda as he was eliminated in SQ1 where he will start down in 19th, his teammate had a decent qualifying in 14th even though he abandoned his final attempt amid the rainfall.

    We also had George Russell who was forced to abort his flying lap in SQ2 with the rain starting to fall during the final moments which means he will be starting P11.

    Sprint Race-

    Red Bull driver, Max Verstappen move back to the top of the pecking order during Saturday’s Sprint race at Shanghai International Circuit as he turned his low-key P4 into a commanding victory.

    Verstappen slowly made moves up the order across the 19 lap race, benefitting from pole-sitter Lando Norris running off the track during the first lap and then set his eyes on Alonso and Hamilton.

    The full top 10 are – P1: Verstappen, P2: Hamilton, P3: Perez, P4: Leclerc, P5: Sainz, P6: Norris, P7: Piastri, P8: Russell, P9: Zhou and P10: Magnussen.

    A good result from Verstappen to claim the Sprint victory, I think there was no doubt about it from the Dutchman he was going from strength to strength. His teammate has got a good result aswell P3 for Perez.

    A great result for Hamilton in P2, a lovely result from the Mercedes driver, a decent points haul aswell. Russell managed to grab the final points position in P8, a decent recovery drive from him.

    Fernando Alonso was the only DNF in the sprint. Sainz attacked Alonso heading Turn 6, with a strong exit from Ferrari seeing them go through Turn 7, where the two Spaniards made contact.
    Alonso dropped back with a puncture from that contact, losing several places in the last sector.

    A decent result for the Ferrari pair, they also had a very close fight at the final hair pin after the Alonso incident, which caused an angry message from the Monegasque.

    Zhou was close to the points! P9 for the Chinese driver, it’s a shame he couldn’t get any at his home race but sometimes that’s just racing…

  • Norris agrees multi-year contract with McLaren

    Another contract extension is here, and this time it’s Lando Norris and McLaren, with the Brit committed his long-term future agreeing an extended multi-year contract.

    The Brit took six second-place finishes in 2023 on his way to sixth in the drivers’ standings in what was his most competitive season since he made his F1 debut in 2019.

    Norris’s contract was set to expire at the end of 2025 – having signed a four-year agreement in February 2022 – but following another strong campaign, both parties have moved to extend that stay.
    After team mate Oscar Piastri signed a new deal last September, Norris’s new agreement will see McLaren run an unchanged line-up for at least the next three seasons.

    The news came just a day after Charles Leclerc signed a new multi-year deal to extend his stay at Ferrari.

    McLaren hope to bring the fight to Red Bull this season, and with their drivers locked in for the next few seasons they will aim to do so.

    It’s a great feeling to be staying in papaya. I’ve grown up with McLaren and feel at home here, the team are like family to me. The journey so far has been exciting, we’ve had ups and downs, but last season showed our desire to get back to competing at the front of the grid. The work Zak [Brown, McLaren Racing CEO], Andrea [Stella, McLaren Team Principal] and the whole team have put in over the last year has been incredible and I’m confident in challenging for wins with McLaren. I’m excited to create more amazing memories and continue working hard with everyone at MTC for the next few years.

    Norris on the news.

    I’m delighted that we’re continuing our relationship with Lando for multiple years to come. It’s been a fantastic journey over the last six years, and he has shown fantastic commitment and desire to push the team forward and get McLaren back to the front of the grid. Last season we saw the fundamental role Lando played with the impressive turnaround in results and I’m looking forward to continuing this push forward together with lots more podiums.

    Brown on the news.

    I’m pleased to confirm the extension of our partnership with Lando on a multi-year contract beyond 2025. This reflects the commitment and confidence we have together, with our shared ambition to ultimately win championships again in the future. Lando has grown as a driver and a person since initially joining McLaren in 2017. He impressed last season, playing an important role in our progress throughout the year, securing seven podiums with many fantastic drives. Alongside Oscar, our exciting driver pairing will play an instrumental part in our objective to move towards the front of the grid. They have impressed in their first season together and I’m looking forward to continuing the hard work with them both on this exciting journey.

    Stella on Lando’s contract.

  • McLaren unveil 2024 livery

    McLaren have become the first Formula 1 team to unveil their 2024 look by revealing their livery for the upcoming season.

    The 2024 challenger will be named the MCL38 and is due to break cover on February 14th, when the team complete a shakedown at Silverstone. It will then head to Bahrain for pre-season testing, which begins on February 21st.

    It features more papaya, which has been a staple of the colour scheme since 2018 in referring to their early cars, compared to last year’s livery.
    Anthracite is the other dominant colour – along with hints of chrome, the latter being a colour used more extensively by the team from 2006 to 2014.

    The British team will run an unchanged line-up of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, with Team Principal Andrea Stella set for his second season in charge.
    He’s been joined by respected ex-Red Bull technical wizard, Rob Marshall and former Ferrari aerodynamic David Sanchez, the duo starting work on January 2nd.

    We’re delighted to launch our 2024 Formula 1 livery ahead of the new season. The design looks awesome, and I can’t wait to go racing and see it come to life on track next month. We didn’t start 2023 as we wanted but Andrea and the team did a great job following the organisational restructure coming into action, and the hard work continues as we carry that excellent momentum into the 2024 campaign. I’m confident the exciting pairing of Lando and Oscar will continue to create more mega memories together after such an impressive second half of last year, which saw the team finish fourth in the championship with 302 points. These are all steps forward from the year before as we continue our mission to push and compete at the front of the grid.

    Zak Brown, McLaren Racing CEO.

    After a busy and productive off season, we head into 2024 with our sights set on continuing our journey towards the front of the grid. Last year allowed the team to set a strong foundation for the future through continued hard work, commitment, effort and talent. With our new infrastructure upgrades and people in place, we must continue to elevate our standards and incorporate high performance in everything we do. The 2024 livery looks great and I’m looking forward to seeing our exciting driver line-up of Lando and Oscar take the MCL38 to track next month.

    Stella adding to the news.

    I’m looking forward to the new season ahead, it will be my sixth in Formula 1 and I’m hoping to carry the momentum we gained as a team at the end of last season to hit the ground running in Bahrain. The new livery looks great with the inclusion of segments from last year’s enhancements, I’m sure the fans will love it as much as me. Everyone at the factory has worked incredibly hard in the off season, and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the 2024 car to challenge our competitors towards the front of the grid.

    Norris on the livery.

    The 2024 livery looks really cool and I’m looking forward to racing in the iconic colours of McLaren for a second season. I made some special memories with the team in my rookie year, securing two podiums and a Sprint win. I‘m going to work hard alongside the whole team to take those results into the start of the new season and compete well with our competitors to give the fans more memorable moments.

    Piastri adding to it.

  • Stephanie Carlin joins McLaren

    McLaren has announced that Stephanie Carlin is to join the team as it’s Formula 1 Business Operations Director next year.

    Carlin who was team principal of Rodin Carlin’s Formula 3 and F1 Academy Teams as well as fulfilling a similar role at Team X44 in Extreme E, will oversee a range of activities in support of McLaren’s F1 operations.

    Her position will also include involvement in McLaren’s participation in the 2024 F1 Academy season. She starts in January will report directly to McLaren team principal Andrea Stella.

    Carlin is very well known within international motor racing circles, having operated across many different championship’s before moving into a senior management role.

    Having originally worked in press and marketing, in 2011 she became commercial manager at Carlin, which was run by husband Trevor.
    The in May 2022, she stepped up to the overall deputy team principal role, and took specific responsibility for running the squad’s efforts in multiple series’.

    Throughout last year, the team participated in British F4, FIA F3 and FIA F2, along with British GB3 and raced in F1 Academy and Spanish F4 for the first time.

    Carlin is one of the most successful racing teams outside of F1, having claimed over 470 race victories and 30 titles since 1999 across F4, F3, F2, Indy Lights, IndyCar, ELMS and Asian Le Mans Series. Not only this, but the team has helped promote more than 30 drivers to F1.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/C0RdLqWoROS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

  • Bortoleto joins McLaren Driver Development programme

    McLaren have announced that Gabriel Bortoleto has joined their Driver Development programme.
    The 2023 FIA Formula 3 Champion will work under the mentorship of former McLaren test driver, Formula 1 driver and Le Mans winner, Emanuele Pirro, who leads the programme.

    Bortoleto, 18 made his single-seater debut in 2020 in the Italian F4 Championship where he won in the Monza and Mugello rounds.
    The Brazilian then moved on to the Formula Regional Championship by Alpine in 2021 and 2022, before gaining a seat in Formula 3 with Trident and taking the title at his first attempt.

    The McLaren Driver Development programme was formed in April, with the aim to support young drivers in their development from karting to professional racing driver to facilitate the progression of emerging talent into F1.
    Other members include Arrow McLaren IndyCar driver Pato O’Ward, McLaren’s 2024 F1 reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa and McLaren Young Driver, Ugo Ugochukwu.

    McLaren have also signed a one-year option on Italian Formula 4 driver, Brando Badoer, who will be assessed by the team over the next year, with the potential to join the Driver Development programme full time at the end of his evaluation.

    I’m excited to be joining the McLaren Driver Development programme. I’m grateful to McLaren and Emanuele for giving me this opportunity. I’ve already been in the MTC (McLaren Technology Centre) for a tour and to meet the team, which was a really nice experience. I’m looking forward to continuing working on my development alongside a great team.

    Bortoleto on the news.

    I’m pleased to welcome Gabriel to the McLaren Driver Development programme. I’ve known him well since the beginning of his motorsport career and he’s got all that is needed on and off track to be a star. He also fits very well with our team culture at McLaren. I look forward to working with Gabriel and helping him develop in his motorsport career.

    Programme Director Pirro.
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CyAuZjDoPLV/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

  • McLaren announce reserve driver for 2024

    McLaren have announced that Japanese driver, Ryo Hirakawa will join their Driver Development programme for 2024, while also becoming a reserve driver for the team.

    Hirakawa claimed the 2022 Hypercar World Endurance Drivers’ Championship title with Toyota – including taking victory in that year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans – while he currently leads the 2023 championship, having just won the 6 Hours of Portimao race.
    Not only that, but the Japanese driver also has experience in his nation’s Super GT and Super Formula categories.

    McLaren confirmed that the 29 year old will run laps in the team’s 2021-spec MCL35M as part of a testing programme, while also completing simulator work at the McLaren Technology Centre in the UK alongside his role with Toyota.

    I’m happy to have joined the McLaren F1 Team as a reserve driver. It’s an exciting prospect to work with such a respected team and I’m grateful to Zak [Brown, McLaren Racing CEO] and Andrea [Stella, McLaren Team Principal] for the opportunity. I’ve already met the team and experienced the simulator at MTC which has allowed me to hit the ground running. I’m now fully prepared and focused for the remainder of 2023.

    Hirakawa, on the news.

    I’m pleased to welcome Ryo to McLaren Racing as a Formula 1 reserve driver to further strengthen our growing support driver pool. We are thankful to TOYOTA GAZOO Racing for their collaboration by allowing Ryo to take on the new role alongside his driving duties. He has an impressive record on track, winning Le Mans as well as the FIA World Endurance Championship. We look forward to working closely with Ryo, who has already spent time on the simulator at MTC. His wealth of experience will benefit the team in a number of areas as he joins our strong stable of drivers.

    McLaren Team Principal, Andrea Stella.
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CxegDIIIFv8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

  • Piastri extends contract until 2026

    McLaren have agreed a fresh multi-year contract extension with rookie, Oscar Piastri that will keep the driver with the British team until at least the end of the 2026 season.

    The Australian already had a deal to race for the team in 2024, having signed a multi-year agreement to make his debut this season, but some strong performances this season has made McLaren wanting to lock him down for the future.

    The 22 year old, took his first top-three finish in F1 when he secured second in the Sprint in Belgium and has scored points on six occasions, most recently in Singapore when he fought back from 17th to finish seventh!

    The announcement of his new contract, ensures McLaren will retain their current driver pairing until at least the end of the 2025 season, with team-mate Lando Norris having agreed a new deal with the Woking-based outfit in February this year.

    It follows a strong showing for the team at last weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, where Norris secured his third second-place finish of the year and Piastri recovered well, as previously stated above.

    It’s fantastic to confirm that Oscar has signed a multi-year extension with the team. Oscar is an asset to McLaren and constantly impresses with his performance, work ethic and attitude, so it was an easy decision for the team to make. He has already proved pivotal to the team, so it’s brilliant to have his vote of confidence as we push to win championships again in the future. I look forward to seeing him develop with us as we continue this journey together.

    Andrea Stella, Team Principal.

    I’m delighted to be continuing our partnership with Oscar through to the end of 2026. He’s an incredible talent and an asset to the team so it’s fantastic to be committing to each other in the long term. Oscar is already proving what he can do out on track and has been instrumental in the turn around we’ve had so far this season. He’s fit into the team brilliantly and is really valued by the whole McLaren Racing family. I’m excited to see how he continues to grow both on and off track.

    McLaren CEO, Zak Brown.

    I am thrilled to be extending my partnership with McLaren for many years. I want to be fighting it out at the front of the grid with this team and I am excited by the vision and foundations that are already being laid to get us there. The welcome that I have received and the relationships that I have built make this feel like home already. The team’s consistent commitment in me has made me feel incredibly valued and the desire from the team for me to be part of its long-term future made this an easy decision. To be wanted like that and for the team to show so much belief in me after just half a season, means a lot. Stability is a huge advantage in this early part of my career and to have that with a brand as prestigious as McLaren gives me the opportunity to continue the work that we’ve started. We’ve enjoyed some good moments together in my rookie season, but I’m excited to work together with everyone at MTC over the coming years to create some great moments.

    Oscar Piastri on the contract extension.

  • O’Ward handed FP1 outing

    McLaren has handed IndyCar driver, Pato O’Ward his second Formula 1 free practice run in Abu Dhabi as well as the post-race tyre test that takes place the week after the F1 season finale.

    All teams have to get a rookie to take part in two FP1 sessions over the season, but as Oscar Piastri is a rookie he done his on the first race weekend in Bahrain.

    Originally the second free practice session was going to Alex Palou – who had been expected to become one of its reserves from this weekend’s race in Singapore.

    However, with Palou having gone back on plans to join McLaren in IndyCar, the Woking quad has had to re-evaluate things.

    Abu Dhabi will be Pato’s first appearance at an F1 weekend since he had his debut free practice run at last year’s Abu Dhabi event.
    McLaren’s team principal, Andrea Stella explained that they believe O’Ward was now eligible for an F1 superlicence after finishing fourth in this year’s IndyCar championship so hopefully the Mexican could join its roster of reserves.

    We are actually checking with the FIA, and we think he’s eligible now for the superlicence. So he’s qualified to drive an F1 car and be in a position to be one of the reserve drivers. In terms of the two main [free practice] events that would have involved either Alex or Pato, we had to do one more session of free practice one, where we have to have a so-called young driver, so a driver that hasn’t participated in more than two races. And then we have the post-Abu Dhabi test. Initially, these kind of events would have been split between the two, but obviously now in this situation, we will have Pato at the wheel in FP1 in Abu Dhabi and then I can confirm that he will also be driving the Tuesday after the race in Abu Dhabi.

    Andrea Stella, talking at the Singapore GP.
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CxQoY_YoUwN/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

  • McLaren reveal livery for next two races

    McLaren will be using a new livery design at the upcoming back to back Grand Prix weekends in Singapore and Japan as the team continue to celebrate their 60th Birthday.

    Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will contest the two races with what has been described as ‘Stealth Mode’ Scheme, switching McLaren’s usual colourway and augmenting black against their classic papaya trim.

    The livery has been co-designed by McLaren and OKX, a Web3 technology company and official partner of the Woking squad, representing how both brands “strive for excellence, while embracing change and innovation”.

    Alongside the livery, a limited edition t-shirt will be made available through the McLaren store, and a limited giveaway for attendees of Token2049, the Web3 conference taking place in Singapore prior to the race.

    OKX will also host a McLaren themed fan zone, OKX Race Club at Chijmes, Singapore from Thursday 14th September to Sunday 17th September, featuring a Stealth Mode show car, racing simulators, giveaways and special guests over the weekend.

    Our partnership with OKX goes from strength to strength, and it’s fantastic to celebrate it with this incredible livery. Stealth Mode flips our race car’s colours, bringing something exciting and different to these two great races in Singapore and Japan. We hope fans will love it as much as we do and get a chance to enjoy the fan zone to connect with our team.

    McLaren CEO, Zak Brown.
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CxIDuZNorv8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

  • McLaren reveal chrome livery for British GP

    McLaren will be running a special chrome-inspired livery at their home race, the British Grand Prix this weekend, as they continue their year long 60th anniversary celebrations.

    The design is a nod to their fan favourite chrome livery, which they ran from 2006 – 2014 – an era which was defined by Lewis Hamilton’s drivers’ world championship in 2008.

    That was the last time McLaren tasted world championship success, with the British operation having since returned their livery to the team’s roots with the use of papaya.

    The special livery, which will adorn both MCL60 race cars at this weekend’s race at Silverstone, has been designed in conjunction with their partner Google.

    Lando Norris will run a special chrome helmet design and bespoke race boots whilst both he and his teammate Oscar Piastri will wear one-off design race suits.

    The livery follows their special ‘Triple Crown’ papaya, white and black livery which they ran in Monaco and Spain earlier this year in homage to their achievement of winning motorsport’s three most famous races, known as the Triple Crown, which includes F1’s Monaco races, IndyCar’s Indy 500 and the endurance showpiece – the Le Mans 24 Hours.

    It’s no secret that racing fans love McLaren’s classic chrome livery. Google Chrome wanted to bring back elements of this iconic livery to celebrate our team’s history at the British Grand Prix, and we’re excited to be able to give our fans what they want. I’m sure this livery will bring back great memories for many of our fans, and I can’t wait to see it out on track at our home race.

    Zak Brown, McLaren Racing CEO.

    It’s been a privilege for the Google Chrome team to work with McLaren on bringing back elements of an iconic livery to inspire this takeover. We were delighted with the fans’ reaction to the branded wheel covers that introduced our partnership, and now Google Chrome is putting chrome back on the McLaren for its home race. We’re looking forward to Silverstone and hope all McLaren fans enjoy what promises to be a really exciting weekend of racing.

    Nick Drake, Google VO Global Marketing.
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CuPhxWmoTMX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

  • Alfa Romeo announce James Key as Technical Director

    Alfa Romeo have made another change to their F1 organisation after announcing James Key as their new Technical Director, replacing Jan Monchaux.

    Key, who will officially start work on September 1st 2023, previously represented the Hinwil-based operation as Technical Director for the then Sauber team from 2010 to 2012.

    Marking Key’s first role since his exit from McLaren earlier this year, his appointment has been described as “a statement of intent” by the squad ahead of them becoming Audi’s works team in 2026.

    Key has represented several other teams, including Jordan Grand Prix, where he became F1’s youngest ever Technical Director at the age of 33 in 2005, the following guises of Midland, Spyker and Force India, as well as stints at Sauber, Toro Rosso and McLaren.

    I am delighted to be returning to Hinwil to work with old, and new, colleagues at Sauber; I have very fond memories of my time there before. I am looking forward to leading the technical side of the team at one of the most critical junctures of its long history as we head towards a new and exciting future. There is a huge amount of work ahead of us, but I am confident that every single member of our team working in Hinwil will have the commitment, determination and hunger to get us to the top. We know it will require time, effort and perseverance, and the dividends from this work will only arrive over the next two seasons and beyond, but we have a journey ahead of us and a roadmap to follow which I am eager to get started. I am grateful to Andreas [Seidl] for the confidence he has placed in me and look forward to repaying his trust and working closely with him on the challenges and ambitions ahead.

    Key on the new role.

    I am delighted to welcome James back home to Hinwil as he joins us to shape the future of this team. The operation he will find has changed a lot since his time here, but the same drive, the same commitment that contributed to making the team successful in his previous experience are still the same: I am sure that, together with this very talented and committed team, we will be able to continue on the path of growth on which we have embarked. James’ appointment is a crucial step on this journey: he has an outstanding amount of experience in the sport, not just as Technical Director, but also in various other roles within the technical organisation of a team. He will lead the transformation process of the technical side of the team, giving us the tools and direction we need to tackle the future. I also want to thank Jan for his precious contribution to taking Sauber to where it is now, following our most successful season in a decade, in which we climbed to sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship.

    Sauber Group CEO, Seidl.

  • McLaren sign Rob Marshall from RB

    McLaren have signed Rob Marshall as their new Technical Director, Engineering & Design, with the long-time Red Bull man set to join the Woking team on January 1st, 2024.

    Marshall’s role, which has been confirmed in the wake of James Key departing as Technical Director, will sit within the F1 Technical Executive team, alongside Peter Prodromou and David Sanchez, reporting directly into Team Principal, Andrea Stella.

    He will be supported by Neil Houldey in the newly-created role of Deputy Technical Director, Engineering & Design, to complete the senior technical structure, the pair due to “assess and establish the highest technical standards required to design winning F1 cars”.

    Marshall will make the move to McLaren after 17 years with Red Bull, most notably as Chief Engineering Officer, with McLaren describing his appointment as “one of the fundamental steps taken by the team to underpin their journey towards the front of the grid”.

    I am incredibly pleased that Rob will be joining McLaren. With over 25 years working in motorsport, Rob comes to us with a wealth of expertise and experience, elevated by his tenure and track record at Red Bull Racing. Rob’s appointment is one of the fundamental steps and a natural fit to aid the team’s journey to get back to our winning ways. We are a team with the ambition of fighting for championships, but over the last couple of seasons we have not shown a steady upward trend from an on-track competitiveness point of view. Over the last few months, we have worked towards inverting this trend. The approach we have adopted is comprehensive and is based on strengthening the team from a people and expertise point of view, along with the ongoing projects to upgrade technology and infrastructure that will shortly come to fruition. People and culture are our most important resource. We have recently invested and worked towards developing and empowering the internal talents available at McLaren, and we already perceive and measure the positive impact. In parallel, we have been strengthening our roster by bringing new talents on board. The list was already strong and encouraging, and the addition of a high-end and skilled individual like Rob will further consolidate our ability to establish the highest technical standards at McLaren and be in condition to design winning F1 cars. We look forward to welcoming Rob in the near future.

    Andrea Stella.

    In addition to McLaren’s press release, Red Bull released a communication of their own to confirm Marshall’s departure and pay tribute to him through team boss, Christian Horner.

    We would like to thank Rob for everything he has done for the team over the past 17 years. His work on the generation of cars that gave us four incredible championship doubles between 2010 and 2013 was truly outstanding. In the years since he has continued to be a key figure at the team and in 2016 took on the broader role of Chief Engineering Officer which has seen him involved in other projects across the business. His influence will be missed but once again we thank him for all he has done and wish him the very best in his new role.

    Christian Horner.
    https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs34rKbo0Xh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

  • McLaren to run one-off livery

    McLaren will be running a one-off ‘Triple Crown’ papaya, white and black livery in this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix as part of their 60th anniversary celebrations.

    The special livery, which will also adorn the MCL60 at the following race at Spain’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, is a nod to McLaren’s achievement of winning motorsport’s three most known races, known as the Triple Crown, which includes F1’s Monaco race, Indycar’s Indy 500 at Indianapolis and the endurance showpiece – the Le Mans 24 Hours.

    The rear of the car which is driven by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri – will be bedecked in papaya, to celebrate the team’s maiden INdy 500 – winning M16C/D that Jonny Rutherford guided to victory in 1974.

    The centre of the car is what the team call “sharp ice white” from Alain Prost’s 1984 Monaco Grand Prix win, running a red and white colour scheme on the MP4/2 that became synonymous with McLaren in F1.

    The front end of the car is black, in tribute to the McLaren F1 GTR that won the 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours with JJ Lehto, Yannick Dalmas and Masanori Sekiya in McLaren’s first attempt at the endurance race.

    Having achieved the greatest accomplishment in motorsport by completing the Triple Crown, we are proud to celebrate the rich history of McLaren Racing with a special livery at the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix. In line with our 60th anniversary celebrations and honouring the legacy of Bruce McLaren, the unique livery pays homage to the three victories which form the Triple Crown accolade.

    Zak Brown, McLaren CEO.

    It’s a privilege to be involved in McLaren Racing’s 60th anniversary celebrations and to combine three iconic race-winning McLaren liveries into one for the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix is going to be a special moment for the whole team. McLaren have an impressive record in Monte Carlo and on a personal level to have experienced a podium at the 2021 race was a huge honour. We’ll be racing hard in a great looking car to celebrate Bruce McLaren and the team’s amazing legacy.

    Lando Norris added.

    The Triple Crown livery looks incredible, and I can’t imagine a better way to experience my first Monaco Grand Prix as a Formula 1 driver with McLaren Racing. Bruce McLaren was a winner in Monte Carlo in 1962 and the McLaren team have such rich history at the Monaco Grand Prix. I will feel incredibly proud lining up on the grid in the MCL60, carrying the same colours as the three Triple Crown-winning race cars.

    Piastri added.
    https://www.instagram.com/reel/Csl24BZIk-4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

  • Vandoorne & Drugovich added to McLaren’s reserve pool

    Aston Martin have announced that their reserve drivers, Stoffel Vandoorne and Felipe Drugovich can be used by McLaren for the majority of the 2023 season.

    Vandoorne was announced as an Aston Martin reserve in November, the former McLaren racer will be sharing duties with reigning F2 Champion Drugovich, who had earlier joined the team’s development programme.

    Aston Martin stated that McLaren will have access to Vandoorne and Drugovich for the first 15 races of the 23 race 2023 schedule.

    It follows a similar announcement that Mercedes reserve, Mick Schumacher will also be part of McLaren’s pool for the upcoming campaign.

    Both Aston Martin and McLaren head into the new season with revised driver line-ups: Fernando Alonso has joined Lance Stroll at the Silverstone squad and F3 and F2 Champion, Oscar Piastri links up with Lando Norris at the Woking squad.

  • Schumacher joins McLaren’s reserve driver pool

    McLaren have announced that they have reached an agreement with Mercedes which will see them add Mick Schumacher to their pool of reserve drivers, for the 2023 season.

    Schumacher joined the silver arrows as a reserve driver in December last year – after two seasons racing at Haas – where he scored 12 points in 43 starts.

    This means, Schumacher joins IndyCar Champion, Alex Palou in McLaren’s list of reserve drivers for the 2023 season, with the German able to step in if one of Lando Norris or the team’s newest recruit, Oscar Piastri is unable to take part in a race weekend.

    McLaren shared an image of Schumacher getting accustomed to their cockpit and getting the seat moulded around him in Woking, so the German will be ready to step in if needed.

    Schumacher, will be on hand for the squad which is led by Team Principal Andrea Stella who was his father, Michael’s Performance Engineer at Ferrari from 2002 to 2006 – during which they won three drivers’ titles together.

  • MCL60

    McLaren have released their 2023 F1 challenger, the MCL60 during a launch presentation at their Technology Centre with the new livery featuring even more papaya orange for a special anniversary year for the team.

    In 2023, McLaren will be celebrating 60 years since legendary New Zealand racer, Bruce McLaren founded the team and, as an initial tribute, opted to jump straight from last season’s MCL36 to MCL60 with the naming of their latest car.

    At the launch, was four of the most important people, McLaren CEO, Zak Brown as well as new Team Principal, Andrea Stella who steps up from his previous position of Racing Director. Along with Lando Norris, and his new team mate Oscar Piastri who arrives into F1 as an F2 and F3 champion.

    MCL60-LN4-High-7K.jpg

    In addition to papaya orange, blue elements remain on McLaren’s livery colours first carried by the outfit in the 1960’s, before then making a popular return in 2018.

    When the new season begins, McLaren will be looking to turn their recent decline into something else, as they fell from third to fifth in the constructors’ standings in the space of two campaigns.

    We are delighted to launch our 2023 Formula 1 team with Lando and Oscar at the wheel as we celebrate 60 years of McLaren Racing. This year’s driver line-up is extremely exciting as Lando, an intelligent and confident driver with excellent pace, is joined by one of the biggest up-and-coming talents in motorsport with Oscar. 2022 was a challenging season in our continued effort to push towards the front of the grid. We learnt a lot which has been taken into the off-season as the entire team works hard to prepare for another year. Under the guidance of Andrea Stella, who moved into the position of Team Principal in December 2022, we have an excellent team to spearhead the 2023 season and can look forward to seeing our young driver duo continue to grow their partnership throughout the upcoming campaign. We’re now looking forward to heading back to being on track in Bahrain. It’ll be great to see the MCL60 in action ahead of the 2023 season. Let’s go racing!

    Zak Brown on the 2023 season.
    https://www.instagram.com/reel/ConGHq-I4QE/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

  • 13.02.23

    McLaren will launch their next Formula 1 challenger in mid-February after hiding the news in an image on social media.

    The team that finished fifth in the 2022 constructors’ champion will unveil their 2023 car due to be driven by Lando Norris and rookie, Oscar Piastri on February 13th at the McLaren Technology Centre.

    McLaren’s former Team Principal, Andreas Seidl left the team at the end of the 2022 season to join Sauber as Chief Executive Ofdicer, whilst Andrea Stella steps up to the role.

    The outfit announced the news of the car launch on Twitter having hidden the date on a sticky note in one of their images…

    I’m looking forward to being able to show what I have, but also there’s undoubtedly going to be things to learn along the way, and I think Lando’s a very strong team mate to be able to learn from. I think it’ll be a good working relationship. We’re both quite similar in age, we’ve got a few friends in common, like I said, so I’m confident that we’ll be able to work well together and hopefully bring the whole team more towards the front of the grid – that’s the aim.

    Piastri on his teammate.
    https://www.instagram.com/reel/CnFDZ-Drvrr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

  • Andrea Stella, McLaren team principal

    McLaren have promoted from within by handing Executive Director of Racing Andrea Stella the role of Team Principal for 2023, following the departure of Andreas Seidl to the Sauber Group.

    Stella has been with McLaren since 2015, first working as Head of Race Operations before being promoted to Performance Director and then his most recent role as Racing Director.

    Before joining McLaren, Stella worked at Ferrari for 15 years, taking on the role of performance engineer for Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen and then racing engineer for Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso.

    I’m delighted that Andrea Stella will step into the Team Principal role and lead our F1 technical and operational programme. Andrea is a highly talented, experienced and respected member of our team with a strong track record of leadership and success in Formula 1. His move into this role is a great example of the strength in depth we have in our team, and I’m excited to be working more closely with him with a joint focus on moving up the grid and winning races. I’ve really enjoyed working with Andreas. He has provided great leadership for the team and has played a significant part in our F1 performance recovery plan and ongoing journey to return to the front of the grid. I thank him for the transparency throughout the process which gave us time to plan accordingly.

    Zak Brown, on the latest news.

    I feel privileged to take on the Team Principal role as the next stage of being part of the McLaren F1 Team. I am grateful to Zak and the Shareholders for their trust in me and to all my colleagues and those who have supported me throughout my F1 career. We are realistic about the amount of work ahead of us to move back up the grid, but I am excited and encouraged that I am in this journey together with a team full of talent, experience, racing spirit and dedication. I look forward to working closely with each of them, Lando and Oscar, to together achieving great success and enjoying the journey.

    Stella on his new role.

  • McLaren announce Palou as a reserve

    McLaren have announced that IndyCar champion, Alex Palou will serve as one of their Formula 1 reserve drivers for the 2023 season.

    The team said Palou will provide support for the F1 outfit alongside his driving duties in IndyCar, and be available as a reserve driver for all Grand Prix events that do not conflict his IndyCar commitment, should either Lando Norris or new recruit Oscar Piastri be unavailable to drive.

    The 25 year old Spaniard previously took part in a free practice session at the 2022 United States Grand Prix with McLaren, as well as piloting the MCL35M in Barcelona and Spielberg as part of the team’s driver development testing programme.

    Palou has four wins and 15 podiums in IndyCar and became the first Spanish driver to win the Championship when he claimed the 2021 title.

    I’m excited to be part of the McLaren team as one of their reserve drivers in 2023. I’ve been behind the wheel of both the MCL35M and MCL36 and it has been a great experience, so I can’t wait for the involvement with next year’s car. I look forward to continuing my development as a driver and I appreciate the trust McLaren have in me with this new role next year.

    Palou on his new role.

    The team are pleased to have Alex on board as one of our reserve drivers for next season. He impressed with his FP1 session in Austin and his driver development tests this year. He has many notable motorsports achievements so far, particularly the 2021 IndyCar championship title so it’s brilliant to be able to expand his role in the team and we look forward to working more closely with him.

    Andreas Seidl, Team Principal.
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CloL3ExIT_M/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

  • McLaren special livery

    McLaren will be saying farewell to their MCL36 car with a special one-off livery for this weekend’s 2022 season finale, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

    Having run a special paint scheme in Singapore and Japan, McLaren have taken a different route for the season-ending race at Yas Marina, the team having collaborated with Lebanese artist Anna Tangles for the Abu Dhabi livery.

    Produced for the Driven by Change programme which was an initiative launched last year to give underrepresented creatives the platform to showcase their work to a global audience through motorsport.

    Last season, the team collaborated with Emirati artist Rabab Tantawy for their one-off Abu Dhabi look.

    As a lifelong F1 fan, I never believed that I would one day have my artwork showcased at a Grand Prix – and it’s all thanks to Driven by Change. I dedicate my spare time to training and encouraging other artists, particularly other Middle Eastern female creatives, to embrace their passion and skills, and so it’s a privilege to be a part of a community that supports the same ambition of empowering underrepresented artists in this way

    Anna Tangles.

    We are delighted to represent an emerging artist’s design on our race cars once again, championing creativity together with Vuse. Anna Tangles produces stunning artwork and has a powerful story which perfectly embodies the spirit and values of the Driven by Change campaign. The initiative is building a legacy which we are excited to continue driving, using our global platform to amplify the talent of emerging creatives.

    Louise McEwen, executive director of brand and marketing at McLaren.
    https://www.instagram.com/p/ClB7uI8Lyqh/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

  • Palou and O’Ward FP1 runs

    IndyCar drivers, Alex Palou and Pato O’Ward are set to make their Formula 1 race debuts this season, when they run in the first practice sessions for McLaren.

    Both drivers have previously driven last year’s McLaren car in private tests, but are now getting a taste of current F1 machinery in a Grand Prix weekend environment, as McLaren look to fulfil their two young drivers practice runs.

    The 2021 IndyCar Champion – Palou will be taking over Daniel Ricciardo’s car for FP1 at this weekend’s United States Grand Prix at Austin.

    Meanwhile, Arrow McLaren SP driver, Pato O’Ward will be taking the wheel of Lando Norris’ MCL36 in first practice at the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

    I’m so excited to be making my F1 weekend debut. It’s great to be driving in the United States in front of fans that may have seen me race in IndyCar. Having driven the 2021 McLaren MCL35M in a few tests now, I can’t wait to put the MCL36 through its paces. I look forward to helping the team in their preparation for the 2022 United States Grand Prix.

    Alex Palou on driving for McLaren.

    I can’t wait to get out on track in Abu Dhabi. I’ve developed as a driver and had a lot of fun testing last year’s car with the team, so it will be a great experience to drive the MCL36. Thank you McLaren F1 for the opportunity.

    Pato O’Ward on driving for McLaren.

    We’re pleased to give Alex and Pato the opportunity to take part in Free Practice sessions with McLaren. With Alex’s great successes in IndyCar, it will be useful for the team to get his feedback on the car and for us to continue to evaluate him as a driver. Alex and Pato impressed with their recent tests in Barcelona and Austria and we’re excited to offer them the experience in the MCL36. It’s a great chance for them to showcase their skills on Formula One’s global stage, where the focus will be to help the team prepare for the race weekend and not on ultimate lap times.

    Andreas Seidl, McLaren Boss.
    https://www.instagram.com/p/Cjse7paI8z6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

  • McLaren reveal special livery

    Mclaren has revealed a special livery design that they will be using for the upcoming races in the Singapore and Japanese Grand Prix, celebrating Formula 1’s return to the Asian content.

    After the 2020 and 2021 races at Marina Bay and Suzuka were cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic, both venues are back on the calendar for the 2022 season with a double-header sequence over the next two weekends.

    To mark the occasion, McLaren worked with team partner and crypto exchange company, OKX to create a bespoke ‘Future Mode’ livery for the MCL36.

    With the car’s usual colour scheme dominated by papaya, the new livery adds neon pink embellishments as well as cyberpunk-inspired engine illustrations.

    In addition to both McLaren cars having a livery change, it will also be reflected on the race suits worn by Norris and Ricciardo.

    https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjALC9DIica/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CjALpMMowWm/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link