McLaren came with a pleasant surprise just before the Monaco GP. They would drive this race with the iconic livery of sponsor Gulf. Although the majority of the fans were very positive about this, they will probably have to settle for the standard orange livery of McLaren for the rest of the season.
Andreas Seidl says that to Motorsport.com. “The only thing I want to say about it now is that this was clearly a one-off livery at the moment. About plans for the future, I can’t say anything at the moment.” That it was a resounding success, however, is certain, both among the fans and the drivers.
When McLaren announced Gulf as their new sponsor last year, the possibility of such a retro-livery was already in the air, but the way McLaren announced it still came as a surprise. Zak Brown said at the announcement that he hopes more teams will follow with a throwback livery.
It is an idea that came from America. NASCAR already has a throwback weekend. On the historic oval of Darlington, most drivers drive with a livery from the past. It is probably a gimmick, but it has made the race more popular with the fans. The Monaco Grand Prix would be the perfect location for this in Formula 1.
Kimi Antonelli capitalized on a Virtual Safety Car to edge Lando Norris before holding off Max Verstappen to win the inaugural Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at Madring
Complete F1 2026 Driver standings after Spanish GP: Kimi Antonelli extended his lead to 81 points over Mercedes teammate George Russell, Lewis Hamilton title chances
Full F1 2026 Spanish Grand Prix Race Results, Madring: 1. Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes; 2. Max Verstappen, Red Bull, +4.351s; 3. Lando Norris, McLaren, +5.089s; 4. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, +29.116s
Full 2026 F1 Spanish Grand Prix Qualifying Results: Lando Norris snatched the first-ever pole position at Madring from Kimi Antonelli by just 0.011s in a dramatic final-lap showdown