For the next two rounds of F1, the MCL60 driven by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will feature a color scheme dating back to its success at the Indianapolis 500, Monaco Grand Prix and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The combination of winning these races – a victory in Monaco can be exchanged for the F1 world championship – is awarded motorsport’s “Triple Crown” achievement.
Although it is more widely considered a driver’s honor, McLaren won the 1974 Indy 500 with Johnny Rutherford and Alain Prost at Monaco in 1984. This success was combined with the F1 GTR McLaren that won Le Mans in 1995.
That car wasn’t a works car, but was driven by a team that included McLaren employees, and its black livery featured on the front third of the special livery that now adorns the MCL60 – on their nose and front fenders.
The center section of the car is temporarily white in recognition of Prost’s success, although this can also be seen in the specially painted rear styling, an area similar to the ‘Marlboro’ color scheme used by the team between 1974 and 1996 plan.
Aside from avoiding any association with its former sponsor – and because modern F1 bans tobacco sponsorship – the MCL60’s rear wing is painted the same papaya orange as the entire Rutherford IndyCar, and also forms part of McLaren’s typical modern paint job. The basis of outfit.
McLaren Motorsport CEO Zak Brown said: “The greatest achievement in motorsports is achieved by completing the Triple Crown and we are proud to celebrate the success of McLaren with a special livery at the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix. Long history.”
McLaren MCL60 Triple Crown livery for Monaco Grand Prix
Photography: McLaren
“To celebrate our 60th anniversary and honor the legacy of (team founder) Bruce McLaren, the unique livery pays tribute to the three victories that make up the Treble honour.”
As well as using the special F1 livery, McLaren has produced five films to tell the story of its ‘Triple Crown’ triumphs and the organization’s rise since its founding in 1963.
The four Arrow McLaren entries for this year’s Indy 500 also feature different livery to celebrate McLaren’s history.
“It is an honor to be part of the McLaren team’s 60th anniversary celebrations and to combine three iconic McLaren Racing Champion livery for the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix will be a special occasion for the entire team. moment,” Norris said.
“McLaren has an impressive record in Monte Carlo and on an individual level will be able to finish on the podium in 2021 (when McLaren used a special Disposable Gulf uniform) is a huge honor.
“We will be racing hard in a beautiful looking car to celebrate the amazing legacy of Bruce McLaren and the team.”
McLaren MCL60 Triple Crown livery for Monaco Grand Prix
Photography: McLaren
Aside from changing the MCL60’s chassis color – which involved changing the vinyl wrap on the car’s panels after recovering from last week’s flooded Imola paddock – rather than repainting it, something the team hasn’t done since 2019 Passed – otherwise the team’s kit for the next two F1 races, including its garage setup, will be in the same colors as the ‘Triple Crown’ livery.
“The Triple Crown livery looks incredible and I can’t imagine a better way to experience my first Monaco Grand Prix as a McLaren Racing Formula 1 driver,” Piastri said.
“Bruce McLaren was the winner in Monte Carlo in 1962 and McLaren has such a rich history with the Monaco Grand Prix.
“I would be very proud to be on the grid with the MCL60, which has the same colors as the three Treble-winning cars.”
Pierre Gasly repeated Ocon’s performance at the Principality, finishing fourth on a day when others failed to get it right, although he was later held back by Carlos Sainz ) and Max Verstappen were relegated six places.
Ocon, meanwhile, had a less-than-perfect lap in Q3 but was still seventh ahead of Sunday’s grid thanks to a team-mate’s penalty.
“It’s fantastic,” Ocon said when asked by Autosport about the car being fourth fastest again.
“If you had told me two games ago, I wouldn’t have believed it.
“Credit to Viry and Enstone for the work they’ve done, as those upgrades we’ve brought to them are clearly working.
“It’s a moment of confirmation after Monaco, the car is obviously more dynamic, so we’re happy.”
Ocon admitted he didn’t have the best overtake on the final lap, which contributed to his lack of Gasly.
“We optimized very well in all qualifying sessions, except for my performance in Q3,” he explained.
“Probably the tires weren’t as good at the start of the lap as all the other runs we maxed out, and in the rear I didn’t have that good grip.
Esteban Ocon, Alpine F1 Team
Photography: Erik Junius
“It was a bit like Fernando (Alonso), I lost the rear entry to Turn 10, I went a little wide and I lost a lot of lap time there. So there was definitely more possibility today, but it was A great place to start.
“I was really happy today because it was so close and it meant that if we had good lap times we could be there, which is fantastic.
“I hope F1 will stay like this for a long time, and P1 will do likewise.”
Before his penalty was confirmed, Gasly responded to Ocon’s statement about the state of the team.
“I’m very happy for the team because it’s the best qualifying of the season,” he said.
“It’s more important than the result itself. I’m happy with the evolution we’ve shown over the past few weekends.
“It’s early in the season and I’m getting to know the team every weekend. They’re getting to know myself, you know, it’s about putting things together. I really feel like every weekend, we’re taking a step forward. .
“It was a really strong lap. I always look further. When I see Carlos coming in second with less than 10th, it really shows that we are on the gear we have There is potential, and the upgrades are working.
“Overall, there are a lot of positives in this qualifying session.”
Nyck de Vries has performed much better in Monaco than at previous Grands Prix this season. The Dutch seem to have brought this form to the Spanish country. Around Barcelona, the AlphaTauri drivers had a great time. He started the race in 14th place. In a press conference with GPblog and others, De Vries looked to the future.