McLaren Racing, one of the most successful teams in Formula 1 history, will feature a one-off 'Triple Crown' papaya, white, and black livery at the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend. The special design celebrates the team's 60th anniversary and their achievement of winning motorsport's three most prestigious races - F1's Monaco race, Indycar's Indy 500 at Indianapolis, and the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race.
One livery that embodies our greatest team achievement.
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) May 23, 2023
In our 60th year, introducing the MCL60: #TripleCrown Edition. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ pic.twitter.com/IEN2n1qoqj
The papaya-colored rear of the car commemorates the team's maiden Indy 500-winning M16C/D that Johnny Rutherford drove to victory in 1974. Meanwhile, the center features a "sharp ice white" color scheme from Alain Prost's 1984 Monaco Grand Prix win, which became synonymous with McLaren in F1. Finally, the front end of the car is black, in honor of the McLaren F1 GTR that won the 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours with JJ Lehto, Yannick Dalmas, and Masanori Sekiya in McLaren's first attempt at the endurance race.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown expressed his pride in celebrating the team's rich history by unveiling this special livery at the Monaco Grand Prix. He added that this unique livery pays homage to the three victories that form the Triple Crown accolade. Meanwhile, drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri expressed their privilege to be involved in McLaren Racing's 60th-anniversary celebrations and to compete in a great-looking car that honors Bruce McLaren and the team's amazing legacy.
This isn't McLaren's first time running a one-off livery in Monaco, as the team brought back the iconic blue and orange colors of Gulf Oil in 2021. Norris had finished on the podium in that race. This year, McLaren is also celebrating their Triple Crown achievements at the Indy 500 where their Indycar outfit Arrow McLaren will run four different special liveries on each of the team's cars.
The Monaco Grand Prix holds a special place in McLaren's history, as the team has won the race 15 times since 1984. The F1-spec papaya, white, and black livery will make its debut when first practice takes place in Monte Carlo on Friday.
McLaren's Triple Crown achievements are rare and remarkable feats in motorsport. Winning all three races requires a high level of skill, teamwork, and adaptability from drivers and teams. Among all teams that have competed at the highest level, only Graham Hill, who drove for BRM and Lotus, has won all three races. However, McLaren is the only team to have completed the Triple Crown as they won all three races with different drivers.
Did we just do three race car liveries in one? 😍 #TripleCrown pic.twitter.com/sgKoxdTiVR
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) May 23, 2023
The Triple Crown is a feat that requires an exceptional level of excellence across multiple disciplines. Winning F1's Monaco Grand Prix demands precision driving skills and technical understanding of the car. Meanwhile, winning Le Mans requires efficient management of car speed and endurance while navigating long stretches of track. Finally, winning Indy 500 necessitates honing driver skills to reach high speeds on oval tracks while navigating traffic.
McLaren's achievement of winning all three races is a testament to the team's commitment to excellence and their ability to adapt to different racing environments. This year's Monaco Grand Prix presents another opportunity for McLaren to showcase their skills and celebrate their remarkable history with the unique Triple Crown livery.
