McLaren is reviving the chrome design of Lewis Hamilton's heyday, which was one of their most recognisable liveries at the Formula 1 grid. Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri's cars will use the special Chrome livery for the duration of the British Grand Prix weekend. The design is one homage to the team's wildly popular chrome livery that lasted from 2006 to 2014, a period highlighted by Lewis Hamilton's drivers' world championship in 2008. That was the last time the British team won the world championship, and since then they've gone back to their origins by using a papaya orange theme. McLaren's new papaya colour scheme makes it one of the most eye-catching cars on the grid, but some fans and even drivers miss the team's classic chrome. Norris has said that he has personally begged McLaren CEO Zak Brown to change the colour scheme back. At least for this weekend's race, Norris achieved his goal, as both drivers wore specially designed racing outfits. Norris will also have boots and a helmet made especially for him.
F1 British Grand Prix: McLaren’s Special Liveries History
McLaren has used a variety of unique liveries on its Formula One and IndyCar machines in current and previous seasons. For the Monaco Grand Prix, it brought back Gulf's historical livery two years ago and this year it utilised a unique 'Triple Crown' colour scheme for that event, and on the same day it ran three heritage liveries at the Indianapolis 500. The 1984 McLaren MP4/2 driven by Alain Prost and Niki Lauda caught Norris' eye, and he expressed a desire to race a car with a similar livery someday. Felix Rosenqvist raced this car at Indianapolis.
Get up close and personal with our McLaren Chrome livery. #ChromeIsBack pic.twitter.com/pZMpqlcT7t
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) July 3, 2023
At the unveiling of the limited-edition paint job, McLaren CEO Zak Brown remarked, “It’s no secret that racing fans love McLaren’s classic chrome livery. Google Chrome wanted to bring back elements of this iconic livery to celebrate our team’s history at the British Grand Prix, and we’re excited to be able to give our fans what they want."
Google VO Global Marketing Nick Drake said: “It’s been a privilege for the Google Chrome team to work with McLaren on bringing back elements of an iconic livery to inspire this takeover."
F1: McLaren Finishes at P4 in Austrian Grand Prix
Lando Norris, driving for McLaren, was in outstanding form in the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, passing Lewis Hamilton midway through the race. The battle between the two British drivers, which would last the whole race, started on the first lap, when Hamilton passed Lando Norris for the lead. The McLaren driver kept seven-time world champion Hamilton in sight with an improved MCL60, and on Lap 28, he overtook Hamilton and his car.
Hamilton lost traction while trying to defend Turn 3 against Norris, forcing him to drift wide. The young British driver had enough room to deploy DRS and pass the Mercedes. Lando Norris originally placed fifth in the Austrian Grand Prix main race, but when a penalty was given to Carlos Sainz, Norris moved up to fourth. McLaren had a rough start to the season, finishing as low as sixth in the chaotic Australian Grand Prix, so the P4 result was quite the turnaround.
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