McLaren Unveils Heritage-Inspired British GP Livery

McLaren has unveiled a special one-off livery for the 2026 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, paying tribute to the M2B, the first Formula 1 car in the team's history. The heritage-inspired design will be carried by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri throughout the 3-5 July race weekend.

The livery was created in partnership with Google under the "Spark What's Next" campaign. Its design draws directly from the McLaren M2B, which made its Formula 1 debut at the 1966 Monaco Grand Prix, the same season Bruce McLaren secured the team's first championship point at Silverstone.

The launch continues McLaren's celebration of its heritage after marking its 1,000th Formula 1 Grand Prix earlier this season in Monaco. During that event, two-time world champion Mika Hakkinen drove the original M2B around the Circuit de Monaco.

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McLaren Racing Chief Marketing Officer Louise McEwen said the Silverstone design reflects both the team's origins and its commitment to continuous innovation.

"Our Silverstone livery is a celebration of where we began and everything we have built since. The McLaren M2B represents the start of a journey defined by relentless innovation and a belief in possibility, and this design brings that spirit to life," she said.

Beyond the visual changes, McLaren also highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence within its racing operations. Gemini Enterprise is already helping trackside engineers search and compare sporting regulations during race weekends, while a new natural-language interface is being developed to retrieve information from multiple engineering systems simultaneously.

Google Vice President of Consumer and AI Marketing Marvin Chow said the collaboration demonstrates how AI can support everything from creative design to real-time race strategy, with Gemini continuing to power innovation across McLaren's business and Formula 1 programme.

The special Silverstone livery represents more than a visual tribute. It connects McLaren's historic beginnings with its future ambitions as the Woking-based team prepares for its home Grand Prix.