For the next two F1 rounds, the MCL60 cars driven by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will feature a colour scheme that harks back to its successes at the Indianapolis 500, Monaco GP and Le Mans 24 Hours.
The combination of winning these races – where the Monaco victory can be swapped for the F1 world title – is bestowed as motorsport’s ‘Triple Crown’ achievement.
Although this is more widely recognised as a driver accolade, McLaren’s success with Johnny Rutherford at the 1974 Indy 500 and Alain Prost at Monaco in 1984 combine with the F1 GTR McLaren that won Le Mans in 1995.
That car was not a works entry but was run by a team that included McLaren staff and its black livery features in the first third of the special livery now adorned on the MCL60s – over their noses and front wings.
The central section of the cars is temporarily white in recognition of Prost’s success, although this can also be spotted in the rear styling of the special livery, where this area resembles the ‘Marlboro’ colour scheme the team ran between 1974 and 1996.
As well as avoiding any association with its former sponsor – and because tobacco sponsorship is banned in modern F1 – the MCL60 rear wings are instead painted in the same papaya orange as was used all over Rutherford’s Indycar and also comprises the base for McLaren’s typical modern livery.
“Having achieved the greatest accomplishment in motorsport by completing the Triple Crown, we are proud to celebrate the rich history of McLaren Racing with a special livery at the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix,” said McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown.
Source: Autosport