McLaren teases the return of their iconic chrome livery ahead of British GP

McLaren sported this distinct, sleek finish throughout the 2000s.

The 2008 McLaren with its iconic Chrome livery and Vodafone sponsor (Credits: The Telegraph)

McLaren F1 team is renowned for one of their strongest stints in F1 in the early 2000s, featuring their iconic chrome livery with their Vodafone sponsor. It features a reflective silver finish that gives the car a sleek and futuristic appearance on the race track. It has become synonymous with McLaren’s brand identity and has been a popular choice among fans. They have now stuck to papaya orange, but a one-off chrome return may be on the cards.

Ahead of the British Grand Prix, McLaren has hinted at the comeback of their iconic chrome livery. This teaser was evident as they updated their profile picture on social media platforms to feature a chrome-themed McLaren logo. The day after the Austrian GP, McLaren shared a brief video in which Lando Norris’ reaction to something unseen was captured. The post was accompanied by a caption that created anticipation, stating that the revelation of what Norris witnessed would soon be unveiled.

Bringing back the Chrome colors would not only please fans but also align well with their sponsor, Google, known for their web browser, ‘Chrome’. McLaren previously sported a chrome livery at the beginning of 2015 before transitioning to black later that year. In 2017, they switched to the iconic papaya color, which has remained the team’s primary color, replacing the black livery.

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The livery would be nostalgic, reminiscent of a golden period in F1, where the iconic chrome car was driven by spectacular drivers such as Mika Hakkinen, Lewis Hamilton, and Jenson Button.

Lando Norris raises concerns despite spectacular P4 in Austria ahead of British GP

During the Austrian GP race weekend, McLaren introduced its first significant performance upgrade of the 2023 season on Lando Norris‘ car. This upgrade proved beneficial as Norris secured a top-four qualifying position for the sprint race on Saturday and the Grand Prix on Sunday. Although McLaren benefited from the struggles of Mercedes and Aston Martin, Norris displayed an impressive drive, finishing P5 initially.

He moved up to P4 after Carlos Sainz received a track limits penalty. Norris expressed to the media his delight with the result and praised McLaren’s improved race pace, despite the challenging task of keeping the MCL60 on track without crashing into the barriers.

What has @LandoNorris seen? All will be revealed…

? @google #googlechrome pic.twitter.com/vtZuCFSo5a
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) July 3, 2023

He said, “It’s still not great, Fernando [Alonso] was clearly quicker a chunk every lap, and I am almost crashing in every corner. But to be fifth [fourth after Sainz’s penalty] shows we’ve made a good step forward, so I am very happy with that.”

Norris highlighted that McLaren’s recent upgrades to the floor, sidepod, and engine cover successfully increased downforce on the car. However, he also noted that these upgrades did not fully address the inherent handling challenges that make the car difficult to drive. While the added downforce improved performance, there are still underlying characteristics that pose challenges for the driver. It will be exciting to see how McLaren performs with more upgrades and perhaps a chrome livery at their home GP in Silverstone.