F1: McLaren Unveils Special 'Stealth' Livery Ahead of Singapore and Japanese Grand Prix

McLaren has revealed a brand new 'Stealth Mode' design for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to drive at the upcoming Singapore and Japanese Grands Prix. The 'Stealth Mode' limited-edition livery is notable for its absence of McLaren's signature papaya accents in favour of a more understated black colour. The updated appearance is the result of a unique collaboration between the McLaren F1 team's main sponsor, OKX. On September 13 during a private media event at Singapore's Fullerton Bay Hotel, Norris and Piastri unveiled the MCL60 in its mesmerising Stealth Mode for the first time. McLaren said the move is in part to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the team's inception in 1963 (when it was known as Bruce McLaren Motor Racing). Matching the new look, the McLaren drivers will wear black racing suits on the track.

F1: McLaren's Third Special Livery in 2023 Season

Prior to this, McLaren sported a "Triple Crown" colour scheme for the races in Monaco and Spain to honour the victories of its cars in the 1974 Indianapolis 500, 1984 Monaco GP, and 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours. At the British GP, McLaren sported a slightly modified version of its normal livery to draw attention to another of its sponsors, Google Chrome. 

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This time, a sponsorship deal with the cryptocurrency exchange site OKX is the reason for the unique colours. The following two races on the schedule, in Singapore and Japan, will have a unique colour scheme. The same thing happened the previous year, although the changes were considerably more subdued, with a few decals and a dash of pink included in the standard livery.

Live from Singapore! @OKX #StealthMode #SingaporeGP ???????? pic.twitter.com/meZsUbYIIq

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) September 13, 2023

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown on the new livery launch said, “Our partnership with OKX goes from strength to strength, and it’s fantastic to celebrate it with this incredible livery. Stealth Mode flips our race car’s colours, bringing something exciting and different to these two great races in Singapore and Japan. We hope fans will love it as much as we do and get a chance to enjoy the fan zone to connect with our team.”

F1: Williams FW45 Gets Special Gulf Livery 

Williams, in addition to McLaren, will be changing its look for the next races as part of a sponsorship deal with the Gulf oil giant. Gulf, one of the biggest oil companies in the world, is often mentioned as a long-standing supporter of motor racing. Some Ford sports cars raced in the late 1960s with Gulf's recognisable light blue and orange liveries, and they went on to win famous victories at Le Mans. In the years after the team's collapse, it became a trademark on Porsche's sports vehicles.

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Williams will employ this for their second unique livery of the year. For its 800th race, the team debuted a new look at the British Grand Prix, complete with the Union Jack on the engine cover to commemorate the occasion.