McLaren unveils unchanged papaya livery for 2026 F1 season

McLaren has revealed a nearly identical papaya and black livery for its 2026 Formula 1 car, the MCL40, opting for continuity over change after a period of competitive success. The decision, explained by CEO Zak Brown as intentional to maintain a winning identity, has generated mixed reactions from fans who were expecting a more dramatic redesign for the new season.

Why it matters:

In F1, a team's livery is a core part of its brand identity and fan connection. McLaren's choice to stick with a proven design signals a focus on stability and capitalizing on the strong brand recognition built during its recent resurgence, rather than using visual changes to signal a new technical era. It reflects a confidence in their current trajectory.

The details:

• The livery retains the striking papaya orange base with black accents and diagonal stripes on the sidepods, with only minor tweaks, such as a narrower black stripe, differentiating it from the 2025 design.
• Fan reaction on platforms like Reddit has been divided, ranging from disappointment over the lack of change to support for maintaining a successful and iconic look.
  • Critical comments called the reveal underwhelming, with one fan noting, "the built-up hype outweighed the livery."
  • Others defended the choice, with one stating, "I really like the papaya liveries, and I don't think they need to make radical changes to it."
• CEO Zak Brown explicitly stated the lack of change was deliberate, linking the familiar livery to the team's recent success and strong partner portfolio, including Mastercard, Google's Gemini, and OKX.
• Brown also pointed to the smaller 2026 car dimensions and the continued partnership with Mercedes HPP for power units as positive factors for the upcoming season.

What's next:

The livery reveal formally kicks off McLaren's 2026 campaign. The focus now shifts entirely to on-track performance, where the unchanged external appearance will be judged against the performance of the new technical package underneath. The team will be hoping the MCL40's results are as consistently strong as its now-signature color scheme.