Lando Norris says McLaren’s special livery for next week’s Monaco Grand Prix looks even better than the team’s usual design.
The team will race in the colours of sponsor Gulf in Monaco this weekend. Norris will use a new helmet complementing the design for the race.He said the team’s one-off livery “will be the best-looking car on the grid by a very long way” and told McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown he prefers it to their usual look.
“I said to Zak it looks even better than our current livery but he didn’t sound so convinced by that,” said Norris.
“But I think it’s awesome, I think it’s a cool opportunity for for both of us and especially at Monaco I think it brings it all together and it’s pretty unique.”
The helmet will have “a Gulf livery, my design but Gulf colours and a bit retro old-school, a bit of a throwback – I think it will look pretty cool.”
Daniel Ricciardo will also sport a special helmet design in Monaco. “I am going to go retro,” he explained. “Still with McLaren history, not necessarily like a Gulf livery.”
He was no less enthusiastic about the team’s new look for the race, which he won in 2018. “Of course I love it,” he said. “It’s cool. I didn’t need another reason to get excited for Monaco, so I got to control myself.”
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SpaFrancorchamps (@spafrancorchamps)
16th May 2021, 18:18
I disagree. I still think the usual livery is the best on the grid. Love the orange/blue combo. I do like this livery for a one-off show though. Nice Gulf heritage.
Erzen (@xenn1)
16th May 2021, 18:50
As far as the orange/blue combo goes, i feel like the 2018 and 2019 (especially 2019) were better than what McLaren currently runs :/
I wonder if this is foreshadowing a rebrand for next year though, even though they’re saying it’s a one-off.
SpaFrancorchamps (@spafrancorchamps)
16th May 2021, 19:02
McLaren runs basically the same livery as in 2018/2019? I don’t understand.
When McLaren launched this colour scheme, everyone loved it. Not much has changed on the livery. I feel like ppl just want a new livery every season, and in branding it doesn’t work like that.
RandomMallard (@)
16th May 2021, 19:55
The current livery is quite different to 2018/19. While they are, at base, the same colour, there are quite major differences:
The livery for the last 2 seasons has been a matte paint vs the gloss paint of 2018/19.
And the patterns are significantly different (I didn’t particularly like the 2018 one as I found it a bit bland, but the patterns at the back of the 2019 one was amazing).
The halo is orange on the 2 most recent cars, and is black on the 2018/19 car. It might seem quite insignificant, but it makes a big difference overall imo.
Uzair Syed (@ultimateuzair)
16th May 2021, 18:29
I agree 100% with Lando. I think their current livery is awful. This one is way better. It would be such a shame if they only used this for one race.
Jere (@jerejj)
16th May 2021, 19:27
I agree.
Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
16th May 2021, 19:43
I think a podium finish is possible for most of the teams at Monaco. I expect good results from McLaren.
Jockey Ewing
16th May 2021, 21:19
I liked it more under the studio lights, where the bright greyish-baby-blue(?) looked much more of a matte-grey, that would have been so cool. Although I would still choose it for a great simracing daventure, if it would be available, I really like it.
Dave
16th May 2021, 21:20
If McLaren had a title sponsor by now, this is what their livery would look like.
JMDan (@danmar)
17th May 2021, 6:38
I like it. I also like the white wheels on the Alpine.
Bulgarian (@bulgarian)
17th May 2021, 15:32
This McLaren is the most beautiful car in F1 this season. I almost feel a kind of sad for not being a McLaren fan.