The McLaren F1 team has unveiled its new MCL33 car for the 2018 season complete with a striking new racing livery which was created in conjunction with refinish paint specialist AkzoNobel.

The new colour scheme is a through back to the origins of the McLaren team 50 years ago. The primary colour is Papaya Spark which was the choice of team founder Bruce McLaren when he first put his own car on the Grand Prix grid in 1968. The distinctive orange livery then went on to feature on successful F1, Indy 500 and CanAm series McLarens in the following years.

At the official launch in Navarra, Spain, Peter Tomlinson, director of AkzoNobel’s automotive and specialty coatings business said, “This is another milestone in our commitment to delivering cutting-edge innovation. It is fantastic to work together with a partner like McLaren, who we are proud to have partnered with for ten years in our shared passion for technology and high performance.”

Jonathan Neale, chief operating officer, McLaren Technology Group added, “Working together with AkzoNobel is an example of how a long-term partnership can continue to challenge and inspire engineers and scientists. The technical developments AkzoNobel has delivered this year will be key to our competitive position on track. Co-innovating on projects over the winter has resulted in significant weight and time-savings and a water-based, more sustainable livery.”