McLaren will celebrate its 1,000th Formula 1 start at the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend, unveiling a special livery for the MCL40.
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Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will run distinctive graphics on their cars to mark the milestone at both the Monaco and Spanish Grands Prix. McLaren becomes the second team in Formula 1 history to reach 1,000 starts, following Ferrari, which reached the mark in 2020.
The team will also bring its first Formula 1 car, the M2B, to be displayed on the grid on Thursday ahead of the race weekend. Drivers will attend the presentation alongside McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown, team principal Andrea Stella and Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali. McLaren has invited all living grand prix winners associated with the team to participate in the celebrations, including seven‑time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who currently races for Ferrari.
This is the fifth time in six years that McLaren has produced a special livery for Monaco. In recent years the team has marked the event with a pale blue Gulf-themed scheme in 2021, a ‘Triple Crown’ inspired design in 2023, a one-off livery commemorating Ayrton Senna in 2024, and a tribute to one of its 1960s cars last year — the latter livery accompanying Norris’s victory in Monaco.
“Lining up on the grid to race McLaren’s 1000th grand prix in Monaco this year provides a perfect opportunity to recognise our rich history in motorsport,” Brown said. “We’re only the second team to reach this incredible milestone, so what better moment to reflect on our past, our present and our future.”
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2026 Monaco Grand Prix
- McLaren to mark 1,000th grand prix with one-off livery in Monaco
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