Hello and welcome to F1 Livery Histories,
the channel where we take a look back at
the different paint jobs, racing trims
and sponsor decals adopted by respective
Formula One teams throughout the eras.
Today we'll be taking a look back at a
team which has routinely been one of the
sport's most prosperous and innovative
constructors in championship history.
A team with a rich heritage, which has now
become Britain's most statistically
successful Formula One outfit.
McLaren.
The McLaren Formula One team traces its
origins back to 1963 when its founder
Bruce McLaren first started his
eponymous racing team, originally known
as Bruce McLaren motor racing in the
small English village of Colmbrook.
The McLaren team first came to terms
with the motor racing world by fielding
custom-built Cooper cars in the Tasman
series, as well as racing its own sports
cars in both Europe and North America.
McLaren himself with pilot his very own
car to championship glory in the 1964
Tasman Series, as well as going on to win
the 1967 Can-Am series driving the
McLaren M8.
In total the McLaren team
would go on to win five successive
Can-Am Constructors' titles between 1967
and 1971.
In 1966 McLaren made its
Formula One debut, entering the Robin
Herd designed M2B chassis, which was
driven by none other than the team's owner.
The team would turn to both Ford and
the Italian Serenissima company for
horsepower during its maiden season,
whilst calling upon Firestone for tyres.
Remarkably, the first McLaren Formula One
car wasn't painted in the team's famous
papaya orange, but rather came dressed in
a white livery which featured a dark
green racing strip, as the team made an
innovative, yet unorthodox financial deal
with film studio MGM to promote its
feature film, "Grand Prix".
McLaren's 1966 livery would
mark one of the earliest
occasions of a Formula One team running
with colours designated by a financial
partner.
In 1967 the team made switch to
BRM engines and Goodyear rubber,
competing with the M4B and the M5A
chassis', with Bruce McLaren once again
fulfilling driving duties. This time the
team would race with a red livery that
employed a silver racing stripe, topped
off with green piping.
It wouldn't be until 1968 that
McLaren's traditional racing orange
would be seen at Formula one level, as the
team underwent a significant expansion
with reigning world champion and fellow
New Zealander Denny Hulme moving to the
team to pilot a second car alongside the
team's owner.
The team would also aquire
a new deal with Ford, which helped to
power the team to both its maiden Grand
Prix win, at a non-championship round
held at Brands Hatch, along with its very
first Championship victory, at that year's
Belgian Grand Prix, held at Spa, with Bruce McLaren steering the all-new M7A
to victory on both occasions.
Thanks to a
further two wins attained by Hulme
later in the season McLaren would finish
in a commendable second position on the
Constructors' table.
The M7A would be
reworked into the M7B and M7C chassis'
throughout season 1969, before the team
introduced the M9A.
The team would also
add a small black Kiwi silhouette to the
paint job, which heralded the country of
origin of both the team and its drivers alike.
1970 would see the team entering
the M14A chassis, once again equipped
with Ford DFV power. The team would also
construct the M7D and M14D chassis'
which were powered by Alfa Romeo engines.
1970 also oversaw Mclaren entering the
world of American open-wheel racing, as
the team first competed in the famed
Indianapolis 500.
Sadly, the year would
also mark the end of an era, as team
owner Bruce McLaren lost his life in a
crash at Goodwood whilst test driving a
McLaren M8D Can-Am car. Following the
untimely death of the team's founding
father, majority shareholder, Teddy Mayer,
would assume control of the team.
In 1971 McLaren produced the M19A, which would
become the final McLaren Formula One car
to compete with the team's famous orange
paint job for more than four decades, as
heading into the 1972 season the team
formed a lucrative deal with a major new
sponsor which would forever transform
the corporate identity of the team.
So begins our retrospective on the
sponsorship liveries of the robust
McLaren Formula One team.
British cosmetics and toiletries company,
Yardley of London, signed on with McLaren,
first becoming the team's major sponsor
in season 1972.
As a result of this new
deal the team run with a primarily white
livery that heavily showcased Yardley
branding, including the company's logo,
which arched across the front and sides
of the vehicle.
US oil company, Gulf, would also sponsor
the team throughout the season, seen on
the sides of the car.
The arrival of Yardley would coincide with a boost
in form for the team, as McLaren would go
on to build successful models such as
the M19C, which competed throughout
1972 and early 1973, as well as the
Gordon Cuppock-designed M23 which made
its competitive debut at the 1973 South
African Grand Prix.
The team's cars of
1973 would run with a slightly altered
Yardley -McLaren livery.
Yardley's relationship with McLaren would last
into 1974, as the team entered a third
car which featured Yardley branding.
However, the team's number one and two
cars came dressed with new sponsorship,
signalling the emergence of one of
Formula One's most lasting and
celebrated partnerships.
Beginning in 1974, McLaren would race
officially as Marlboro Team McLaren, as
the team competed for the first time
dressed in the red and white company
colours of the Philip Morris tobacco
brand, Marlboro.
From the very outset
Marlboro's distinctive red chevron became
a focal point of the McLaren team livery.
The team's fuel supplier, Texaco, also
featured notably in the car, seen on the
engine case, monocoque & rear wings,
whilst additional sponsors, Heuer, were
found on the sides of the vehicle
Thanks in some part to the financial
role played by the team's new titular
sponsor, 1974 would see McLaren
establishing itself as a Formula One
heavyweight, as nearly-signed driver
Emerson Fittipaldi became World Drivers'
Champion for the second time behind the
wheel of the McLaren M23.
Along with
veteran driver Denny Hulme, the team
would also secure its very first
Constructors title in season 1974.
The team would persevere with the M23 into
season 1975, once again with Texaco-
Marlboro branding on full display.
The team also raced with red driver's
numbers for the first time.
In 1976, James
Hunt would steer the M23 McLaren Ford to
Championship glory, taking out six wins
on his way to the Drivers' crown in one
of the most closely fought seasons on
record.
Since its introduction in 1973,
the iconic McLaren M26 had by this time
won a total of 16 Grands Prix, proving to
be one of the most successful Formula
one cars of its era.
Hunt was unable to
defend his Championship in season 1977
as the team raced with both the M23 and
the all-new M26 chassis.
The M26 was
retained heading into 1978 and was
modified mid-season to incorporate a
ground-effect design.
The team would
also strike up a deal with German
brewers, Löwenbrau, which saw the team
discarding its red and white Marlboro
livery in favour of Löwenbrau's navy
blue and gold company colours for the
North American rounds of the season.
The following year the team would build and
enter both the M28 & M29 chassis', which
once again raced with both Marlboro and
Löwenbräu liveries.
Castrol were also
first seen in the car in 1979, featuring
on the sides of the rear wing.
Throughout season 1980 the team raced with the
revised M29B and M29C chassis' along
with the M30, the final McLaren Formula One
car designed by Gordon Cuppock.
However, the past few seasons had been rather trying
for the team, and towards the end of the
year the Philip Morris tobacco firm
would orchestrate a revolutionary merger
between Teddy Meyer's McLaren team and
Ron Dennis' highly successful, Marlboro
backed, Project Four racing outfit, which
saw Meyer and Dennis sharing
management of the company. The team would
subsequently become officially known as
Marlboro McLaren international,
moving out of Colmbrook and into its
current facilities at Woking.
At the 1981 Argentine Grand Prix, the recently
restructured team debuted its
revolutionary new carbon-fiber composite
chassis, the MP4, designed by John Barnard.
1981 would see a livery update for the
team, as Marlboro chevrons were seen on
both the front and rear of the vehicle.
McLaren would make a switch to Michelin
rubber for the new season whilst
additional sponsors, lubricant
manufacturers, Unipart, were welcomed
aboard, seen on the car's side pods.
At races held in countries which prohibited
tobacco branding, Marlboro would revert
to using its well recognised colour
scheme and chevron motif.
The following
season the team would compete with the
adapted MP4B chassis.
By the end of 1982
Teddy Mayer would sell his shares in the
team leaving Dennis as the sole
figurehead of McLaren international.
Thanks to Dennis, the team would recruit
German automakers, Porsche, as engine
partners building engines for the team
re-badged as TAG power units, thanks to a
lucrative deal signed with the private
holdings company, Techniques d'Avant Garde.
McLaren would press on into
the first half of 1983 with the
Cosworth-powered MP41C, before debuting
the TAG-powered MP41E, at Zandvoort.
TAG branding would be seen on the new
car's engine casing, whilst additional
sponsors, such as Italian logistics
company, SIAMA, and Hercules also took
up residency on the car.
McLaren would
enjoy a vast array of success over the
course of the next few seasons
thanks to the all-new MP4/2, which helped
Niki Lauda narrowly beat his teammate
Alain Prost to the 1984 Drivers' title.
Lauda and Prost would remain
unchallenged as McLaren-TAG secured the
Constructors' mantle with great skill and flair.
1984 would also see the team's
title sponsor revive its practice of
obscuring its name at tobacco ban
races, this time at the use of large
black oblongs.
The following season saw Alain Prost
take the first of his four World
Championships with the now Goodyear
shod, MP4/2B, as McLaren secured
back-to-back Constructors' Championships.
The 1985 season also saw the
recommencement of McLaren's affiliation
with fuel suppliers, Shell, as the
Dutch fuel company's logo was now
visible in the car's nose cone and front wing.
The team would compete with the
revised and updated MP4/2C chassis
in season 1986, which powered Alain Prost
to his second World Championship in as
many seasons.
Coffee brand, Segafredo,
would sign with the team as sponsors
during the season, seen on the sides of
the car's rear wing.
At the 1986 Portuguese Grand Prix, Keke Rosberg's car
had its Marlboro branding changed to
yellow as part of a promotional campaign.
Following the end of the 1986 season, the
team's chief engineer, John Barnard, would
join rivals, Ferrari.
For 1987, McLaren
would field the first of many cars
designed by Steve Nichols, the MP4/3,
A car which proved to be the final
TAG-Porsche powered McLaren Formula One car.
Following the team's affiliation
with Porsche, TAG would remain associated
with the team as a technological partner.
Steve Nichols would be joined by Gordon
Murray in designing one of if not the
very most successful Formula One car of
all time,
the Honda-powered MP4/4 chassis.
Along with the switch to Honda the team would
also sign Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna,
who managed to secure the World Drivers'
Championship in his first season driving
for the mighty McLaren team, thanks in
some part to a dramatic comeback drive
at the final round of the season.
Together, Senna and Prost would help the
team claim their fourth Constructors'
title in emphatic fashion, dominating
the Championship by winning 15 out of 16
races for the year.
During this time the
team's livery would remain mostly
unchanged, save for Marlboro and Shell
swapping positions, with the tobacco firm
now seen on the engine case and the
team's fuel supplier taking up space on
the car's side pods.
The following season
Neil Oatley would join the team,
assisting in the design of the MP4/5
chassis, which utilized Honda V10 power
in the wake of the ban on V6 turbo engines.
The return to naturally-
aspirated engines would do nothing to
quell the team's dominance, as Senna and
Prost once again steered the team to
Championship success, this time with
Prost emerging as Drivers' Champion.
The season, however, wasn't without its share
of controversy, as at the penultimate
round of the 1989 season, held at
Suzuka, Prost & Senna would have a
coming together in an incident which
would put an end to both driver's races,
handing the title to Prost in highly
acrimonious circumstances.
Prost would
leave McLaren following 1989, however, the
team would once again claim twin
Championships with both the MP4/5B, and
its team number one, Ayrton Senna.
Though, Senna's triumph in 1990 would also
prove to be a controversial affair, as in
an incident which drew analogies to the
previous year's Japanese Grand Prix,
Senna would again collide with his nemesis,
Prost, effectively clinching the
Championship in the process.
Season 1990
would also see British clothing company,
Courthaulds, joining the team, acquiring space
on the sides of the car's rear wing.
1991 would produce even more fortune for the
team, as Senna claimed his third and final
World Championship and the team recorded
its fourth consecutive Constructors'
crown with the Neil Oatley-penned MP4/6.
The MP4/6 would go down as the last
Formula One car ever to win a World
Championship using a manual transmission
or a V12 engine.
The following season would see
McLaren's championship hegemony come to
an end.
The team entered the MP4/7,
the final Honda-powered McLaren
Formula One car for more than two
decades, as the Japanese manufacturer
made the decision to withdraw from the
sport at the conclusion of the season. this
This would lead the team to acquire Ford
engines for its 1993 challenger, the MP4/8.
1993 would see Courtaulds taking up
space on the cars monocoque, whilst
newly-signed sponsors, K-Mart and
Camozzi ,were now seen on the car's airbox
and the sides of the rear wing, respectively.
In 1994 McLaren would
switch to Peugeot engines for the MP4/9,
after a brief consideration of
Lamborghini power. New sponsors, air
compressor manufacturers, ABAC, would be
seen on sides of the car's rear wing.
In 1995 McLaren commenced yet another
long-lasting and widely successful
engine partnership, as the allnew MP4/10
came outfitted with Mercedes-Benz power.
Along with the change to Mercedes came a
change in fuel suppliers, with Mobil
joining the team.
The MP4/10 would be
subject to revisions throughout the year,
as the MP4/10B & C models were
introduced as the season progressed.
German adhesives company, Loctite, would
feature on the car, seen on the sides of
the rear wing.
1996 would herald the arrival of the MP4/11
chassis, which proved to be the final
McLaren car to be painted in the famous
two-tone design of Marlboro cigarettes,
bringing an end to a 23 year association
between McLaren and the Philip Morris
tobacco company. A partnership that has
become forever synonymous with unbridled
success of the highest degree.
Having moved on from Marlboro, the team began
pre-season testing in 1997 in its famous
orange paint job.
The dawn of the season
proper would mark the beginning of a
transformation for McLaren, both from a
commercial and technological standpoint,
as the newly built MP4/12 competed
dressed in a black, silver and white
livery that promoted McLaren's new
title sponsor, German tobacco company, West.
The team's stunning new livery was
topped off with a red tipped nosecone.
Along with West the team also signed on
with a fresh list of supplementary
sponsors, such as Computer Associates Sun
Microsystems, SAP and Kenwood.
The MP4/12 was noted for its secondary brake pedal,
which aided the driver and eliminating
understeer.
1997 would also mark the
arrival of Adrian Newey at the team.
Newey, along with longtime McLaren designer
Neil Oatley, would go on to co-design the
double Championship winning MP4/13 which
along with the team's drivers David
Coulthard and 1998 World Drivers'
Champion, Mika Häkkinen, helped secure the
team its eighth, and to date, final
Constructors Championship.
German beer, Warsteiner,
would also be a part of the team's
sponsor portfolio in season 1998.
The following year the team would field the
Bridgestone-shod MP4/14 which was driven
by Häkkinen to his second straight Drivers' title.
New sponsors in the form
of Schweppes, Fujtsu,
Siemens and Schuco were
acquired by the team, whilst at races held
in tobacco ban countries, West would
adopt the driver's names, Mika and
David, in creative fashion.
The team would
continue to run with an unchanged
livery for the 2000 season, competing
with the MP4/15, designed exclusively by
Adrian Newey.
The team would produce the MP4/16
chassis for season 2001. Siemens would
now take on a larger sponsors role
promoting its mobile brand upon the car'sHäkkinen.
2002 would signal a change
to Michelin rubber, as the team ran with
the MP4/17.
2002 would also see car-care
brand,
Sonax, joining the team.
Heading into the
2003 season, the team intended to race
with its MP4/18 challenger, however, the
car ran into a number of developmental
problems, and so the team would compete
with the reworked MP4/17D chassis.
In 2004 the team''s livery underwent a
series of subtle evolutions, as the team
raced with both the MP4/19 and MP4/19B chassis'.
Multinational communications
company, AT&T, and German adhesives
company, Henkel, signed with the team
for the 2004 season.
The following year
the team would enter the MP4/20 ,designed
by Adrian Newey and Mike Coghlan.
The
2005 season would mark the conclusion of
McLaren's partnership with West, as the
Anglo-German alliance was brought to an
end in the face of stringent EU laws on
tobacco advertising.
From a sponsorship
standpoint, 2006 proved to be a season of
transition for McLaren, as the all-new MP4/21
arrived with a reflective chrome
livery which utilized the team's
patented red stripes.
In the absence of
West, the team sought out a new list of
sponsors, such as Johnnie Walker, which
was seen on the car's side pods and
engine case, as well as Emirates Airlines,
seen on the front and rear wings, which
were re-coloured red.
2006 also marked
McLaren's involvement with Japanese
motorsport company, Direxiv, which was
reflected with company branding on the
car's side pods.
At the 2006 Turkish Grand
Prix the team would promote
Diego, whilst at
the Bahraini Grand Prix, Johnnie Walker's
company slogan "Keep Walking" was seen on the car.
The 2006 season would also prove
to be a season of transition from a
technical position, as longtime designer
Adrian Newey departed from the team to
join Red Bull Racing.
In 2007 McLaren signed a major new deal
with telecommunications company, Vodafone,
which saw the Pat Fry-designed MP4/22
undertake a substantial Vodafone
presence on its delivery.
Additional
sponsors, such as electronics
company, Aigo, Spanish bankers, Santander,
multinational hospitality company, Hilton,
as well as the team's new tyre supplier,
Bridgestone, were also present during
season 2007.
The season would prove to be
one of controversy for the Woking
outfit, as late in the season the team was
found guilty of espionage and suffered
an FIA-imposed penalty for illicitly
collecting and holding technical
information from their Championship rivals
Ferrari.
As a result of this verdict,
McLaren was excluded from the 2007
Constructors' Championship, a title which
the team would have won had it not been
banned.
McLaren's revival informed not only
stemmed from its new chassis, but also
the incredible year-long battle between
the team's drivers Fernando Alonso and
Lewis Hamilton, both of whom were
unfortunate not to claim championship
honours in the season.
2008 would see the
team hitting back, as Lewis Hamilton
claimed he's maiden Drivers' crown,
piloting the all-new MP4/23 to
Championship success.
The car designed by
Paddy Lowe, Neil Oatley, Tim Goss
& Doug McKiernan continued to run with its
chrome and red Vodafone livery.
In 2009 the team unveiled the MP4/24, which again
raced with the team's recognized livery
and sponsor package .2009 also saw Ron
Dennis retiring as Team Principal,
handing over the reins to Martin
Whitmarsh. However, Dennis would remain as
Chief Executive Officer of the company.
2010 would see the arrival of the MP4/25,
notable for its "F-duct" system, which
allowed the car to reach higher
straight-line speeds
thanks to a higher volume of air flow
generated when the driver covered a
small hole in the cockpit with their hand.
The innovative yet controversial
F-duct would be banned at the season's end.
The team would race on in 2011 with
the highly competitive, Pirelli-shod MP/26.
New sponsors for season 2011
included Dutch paint manufacturers Akzo
Nobel, as seen on the sides of the rear wing.
The following season the team would
produce the MP4/27 which now carried
both energy drink brand, Lucozade, and
sports nutrition brand, Maximuscle, upon
its rear wing, whilst also promoting the
team's
animated series, entitled "Tooned".
In 2013 McLaren celebrated its 50th anniversary
as a racing entity by lifting the covers
off of the all-new MP4/28, a car which
proved to be the final McLaren car
designed by longtime Technical Director
Paddy Lowe.
TAG-Heuer would also rejoin
the team during season 2013, leasing
space on the sides of the rear wing.
Following the 2013 season, the teams deal
with Vodafone reached a premature
conclusion, leaving Mclaren to move
forward once again with our titular sponsorship.
In the absence of Vodafone, Mclaren
would continue to race with its chrome
livery now highlighted with black piping.
The team's sponsor portfolio would
fluctuate during 2014, as a number of
different sponsors appeared in various
different positions on the newly
produced MP4/29.
The team's fuel supplier,
Mobil, German software company and
longtime sponsors, SAP, and returned
sponsors, Johnnie Walker, were all seen on
the car's rear wing at various stages of
the season, whilst SAP and Gulf Air
would both occupy the car's side pods at
select events.
With this lack of adequate
sponsorship, the team would even
highlight its MP4/29 chassis designation
upon its livery.
Quite significantly,
McLaren's 20-year union with Mercedes
would come to an end following 2014, as
in 2015 the MP4/30 would come outfitted
with Honda power, marking the team's
reunification with the Japanese engine
manufacturer.
The team would also switch
from Mobil to Esso fuels, whilst
reintroducing the colour red to its
livery, as the new car was seen with a
red stripe that weaved around the nose
cone and enveloped the car's mirrors.
Atbthe 2015 Spanish Grand Prix, the team
unveiled a revised livery, which
discarded chrome in favour of graphite
grey, and introduced the red V to the
front of the car.
Dutch accounting firm
KPMG, news network, CNN and coffee brand,
Segafredo, would all strike up sponsorship
deals with the team in season 2015.
In 2016 the team would continue to race
in black and red with the all-new MP4/31,
albeit with an evolved livery that did
away with the previously seen red V.
Toothpaste brand, Sensodyne, would join
the team's sponsor list in 2016,
appearing in the car's rear wing, whilst
additional sponsors, such as Chandon,
Richard Mille NRF & Boncafe also
leased space on the car.
Following the
2016 season Ron Dennis would step down
as CEO of the McLaren Group, ending his
36-year association with the team, an
era which saw the team at its very
strongest.
The following year the team
would produce the MCL32, a car which
proved to be the final McLaren car
powered by Honda, as the team opted out
of the engine partnership due to a lack
of competitiveness.
Quite notably, the
team's 2017 challenger would be the
first car to compete largely painted in
McLaren's traditional orange, in forty-eight
seasons, as the team unveiled
a livery which meant orange with
black, topped off with white piping.
Throughout the course of the season the
team promoted its world's fastest gamer
competition upon the cars side pods.
2016 would also see the team revert to BP
fuels
The Renault-powered MCL33,
produced for the 2018, season would come
with a much larger presence of orange,
with each of the team sponsors appearing
in black text, whilst the rear of the
bodywork and rear wing was coated in
navy blue.
Chandon would take on a
significantly larger role in 2018,
assuming space on the car's engine case
& rear wing, whilst additional sponsors
Kimoa & Dell would join the fray.
At the 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the
team ran with a modified livery to
celebrate Fernando Alonso's final
Formula One race weekend, which made use
of the red, yellow and blue seen on Alonso's
helmet.
In 2019 the team livery
underwent a development that now
utilized a mixture of triangles that
transitioned from orange to navy blue.
The all-new MCL34 also comes with a
host of new sponsors, with Estrella Gallica, Lyft, FxPro, Huski Chocolate, CNBC,
Logitech, Vype and Coca-cola all joining
the team, along with British American
Tobacco which promotes its diffuse "A
better tomorrow" campaign, in lieu of its
own company branding.
In August of 2019
it was announced McLaren would contest
the Indy Car Championship on a full-time
basis from season 2020 onwards.
Such a venture typifies the spirit in which
McLaren applies itself to motorsport.
For more than half a century the team has
enjoyed a vast array of successes in not
only Formula One, but a whole host of
premier motorsport categories worldwide.
And so, as the team journeys into
season 2020 & beyond, here ends our
retrospective on the legendary McLaren
Formula One team.
