Summary
- McLaren has unveiled its MCL40 Formula 1 car in a stealth, one-off black and chrome livery for the private Barcelona Shakedown, offering an early look at its 2026 title-defending challenger
- The reigning double world champions are using the five-day Shakedown to debut the new regulations-era car while delaying on-track running until at least day two to maximise development time
- The Barcelona design will not be McLaren’s full 2026 race livery, which is set to be revealed at the official season launch on February 9 ahead of Bahrain testing and the new season opener in Australia
McLaren is easing into F1’s 2026 reset with a calculated flex. Fresh off back-to-back titles, the Woking team has revealed digital renders of the new MCL40 in a stripped-back black and chrome test look for the behind-closed-doors Barcelona Shakedown, keeping its full papaya-heavy race livery under wraps until its Bahrain launch. The one-off design doubles as a technical smokescreen and a regulatory test bed, allowing McLaren to evaluate vinyl durability and heat management under the new rule that mandates at least 55 percent of the car be covered in livery while giving fans a first glimpse of the reshaped chassis, drooped nose and ramped sidepods.
The shakedown itself signals how seriously McLaren is treating this rules revolution. Rather than rushing out on day one, the team is holding the MCL40 back until later in the five-day window to squeeze every last hour from its design and simulation program, a move that underlines the scale of the simultaneous chassis, power unit and tyre overhaul. The car will run as the newly named McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team, with Lando Norris carrying the number one plate for the first time and Oscar Piastri alongside him for a fourth straight season, as the champions embrace a new era where, as the team keeps stressing, everyone starts from zero.
