McLaren at Silverstone: No papaya – Norris and Piastri in white and green!

On 30 June, McLaren Racing, in partnership with Google Gemini, unveiled a unique special livery that will be featured on the MCL40 at the 2026 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Inspired by the campaign slogan ‘Spark What’s Next’, the design celebrates the groundbreaking ideas that forged a legacy and pays tribute to the car with which McLaren began its Formula 1 journey: the McLaren M2B.

The livery was inspired by the team’s first Formula 1 car, which made its debut at the 1966 Monaco Grand Prix. In the same year, Bruce McLaren also secured the team’s first point in Formula 1 at the British Grand Prix – the start of a journey that continues to shape the team to this day.

Unveiled as part of McLaren Racing’s ongoing celebrations of its heritage, the livery reflects the team’s tireless drive to innovate, iterate and create opportunities – a message that lies at the heart of the partnership between McLaren Racing and Gemini.

It builds on the milestone of the team’s 1,000th Grand Prix in Monaco, where two-time world champion Mika Häkkinen drove the M2B around the Circuit de Monaco as a tribute to McLaren’s origins.

The Silverstone design serves as a visual link between the past and the present, drawing direct inspiration from the car that started it all. With ‘Spark What’s Next’, McLaren Racing and Gemini celebrate the power of bold ideas to shape the future. From the M2B in 1966 to today’s MCL40, every McLaren car has built on the innovations that came before it.

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Over the course of a single season, a Formula 1 car can undergo around 18,000 design changes, demonstrating the team’s commitment to continuous improvement. The M2B marks the starting point of this journey, whilst the 2026 design illustrates just how far performance and technology have advanced.