McLaren will celebrate their 60th anniversary by running a special 'Triple Crown' papaya, white, and black livery in this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix. McLaren has won the Triple Crown of motorsport, which consists of the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix, the Indy 500 at Indianapolis, and the Le Mans 24 Hours. This special livery will also be featured on the MCL60 at the next race at Spain's Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The 'Triple Crown' of racing is awarded to the driver who triumphs in all three of these events, with the Monaco Grand Prix victory being redeemable for the Formula One world championship. Although this award is usually reserved for drivers, McLaren's achievements with Johnny Rutherford in 1974 Indy 500 and Alain Prost at Monaco in 1984 combine with the 1995 Le Mans victory of the F1 GTR McLaren to earn this recognition. In 2021, McLaren debuted a one-off livery in Monaco that brought back the historic blue and orange colours of then-partner Gulf Oil. Norris finished third in that race while driving for McLaren.
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McLaren Special ‘Triple Crown' Livery
To honour Johnny Rutherford, who drove the team's first M16C/D to victory in 1974 Indy 500, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have decided to decorate the back of their vehicle with a papaya. The "sharp ice white" in the middle is a nod to Alain Prost's 1984 victory at the Monaco Grand Prix, when he drove the MP4/2 in the iconic red and white livery that has come to represent McLaren in Formula One. The car's front end is black as an homage to the McLaren F1 GTR driven by JJ Lehto, Yannick Dalmas, and Masanori Sekiya that won the 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours.
Arrow McLaren, McLaren's Indycar team, will wear four unique special liveries on each of its cars in the 2023 Indy 500, coinciding with the day McLaren used this livery in the Monaco Grand Prix, a race they have won 15 times since 1984. When Friday's first practice session begins in Monte Carlo, the papaya, white and black livery will make its track debut.
“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 CEO Zak Brown.
“In line with our 60th-anniversary celebrations and honouring the legacy of Bruce McLaren, the unique livery pays homage to the three victories which form the Triple Crown accolade,” he added.
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McLaren Special ‘Triple Crown' Livery: Drivers' Reaction
Maclaren driver Lando Norris said, “It’s a privilege to be involved in McLaren Racing’s 60th-anniversary celebrations, and to combine three iconic race-winning McLaren liveries into one for the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix is going to be a special moment for the whole team. McLaren has an impressive record in Monte Carlo and on a personal level to have experienced a podium at the 2021 race was a huge honour. We’ll be racing hard in a great-looking car to celebrate Bruce McLaren and the team’s amazing legacy.”
Oscar Piastri said, “The Triple Crown livery looks incredible, and I can’t imagine a better way to experience my first Monaco Grand Prix as a Formula 1 driver with McLaren Racing. Bruce McLaren was a winner in Monte Carlo in 1962 and the McLaren team has such rich history at the Monaco Grand Prix. I will feel incredibly proud lining up on the grid in the MCL60, carrying the same colours as the three Triple Crown-winning race cars.”
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