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Top 5 McLaren Liveries of All Time: Does the 2024 Livery Make It to the List?

Published Jan 17, 2024 | 6:35 AM EST

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Being the second oldest team in Formula 1, we have seen McLaren go through multiple transformations throughout its storied history. Since its inception in 1966, McLaren has won multiple world championships, housed many legends, and even donned some controversial outfits. The team which has been part of the circus despite its ups and downs has given us a lot of incredible moments to relive in the sport. However, today, in this piece, we will discuss only one aspect of McLaren, their livers.

The Woking outfit recently shocked the world with its social media antics which was a hook for their surprise livery launch. The livery launch surely grabbed the attention but received mixed reviews from the fans. Despite not making a public appearance, we now know how McLaren’s 2024 challenger will look. So on this occasion, let’s look at the top five livers of all time from the Papaya team, in no particular order.

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1. McLaren MP4/4

Perhaps the most iconic livery McLaren has ever produced. The Marlboro McLaren livery from the 1980 season is one of the most recognizable F1 liveries of all time. The subtle yet perfect color combination has etched itself in the minds of every F1 fan. The fact, that the car underneath the paint job came close to winning all races in a season puts a cherry on top of this beautiful car.

2.McLaren MCL33

After the 2017 management change, the team decided to bring back the iconic colors of the 60s back, and they did it right. After flirting with a mix of black and papaya in 2017, the team struck gold in 2018 with the car looking absolutely beautiful and drenched in the team’s iconic colors with the modern design.

3. Special Moncao edition McLaren MCL35M Gulf

Amidst COVID-19 chaos, MCL35 was carried forward to 2021. This allowed us to witness the one-off edition of the McLaren MCL35M in Moncao in the 2021 season. Another masterstroke with the mix of papaya colors with a beautiful blue ribband hue to celebrate their partnership with the Gulf.

Read More: Lando Norris & Co’s Goosebump-Inducing Masterpiece After McLaren’s Mass Instagram Deletion Wins Fans Hearts

4. McLaren MP4/22

McLaren contained its trend of introducing a new color scheme in one year and perfecting it the next. This produced the 2007 McLaren MP4/22. The iconic silver McLaren produced one of the most iconic and record-breaking seasons by a rookie. The silver livery with hits of bright orange was a sight to behold on the track and is definitely one of the best liveries of all time.

5. McLaren MP4/30

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The McLaren MP4/30 marked the return of Honda with McLaren, which many thought would turn into a winning partnership. Little did McLaren know, the MP4/30 will turn out to be as troublesome as it did. The car was a complete failure in all regards with its unreliability and slow pace. However, the team did manage to look good while failing with their all-black livery with a hint of red.

WATCH THIS STORY: Best f1 Livery Designs of All-Time

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These are the top five McLaren liveries of all time. If you were hoping to see the 2024 livery on the list, we are sorry to disappoint because the latest McLaren challenger will perhaps not even make the top 10. Perhaps its predecessor might and it would mean the same thing, as the two practically look the same.

Editorial Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of EssentiallySports.

Written by:

Mahim Suhalka

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"Chaos is Order yet Undeciphered." - said Noble prize winner José Saramago, essentially meaning the path to success is not always linear and something, I, Mahim Suhalka truly believe in. I have written over 1800 articles in my tenure at EssentiallySports so far making me one of the senior writers in the division.
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Edited by:

Akash Pandhare