McLaren F1 surprises the paddock by unveiling its MCL39 early, releasing shakedown images from Silverstone ahead of its official season launch.
McLaren F1 has decided to steal the spotlight from Williams, which was set to unveil its 2025 car tomorrow and expected to be the first team to do so this season. The Woking-based team has instead released photos of its MCL39, its new Formula 1 car, featuring a test camouflage livery.
The car is seen during its Silverstone shakedown, where Lando Norris was the first to take the wheel. This marks the car’s first appearance, though its final livery will be revealed on Tuesday at the F1 75 event, alongside all other teams.
Oscar Piastri is also driving it today, giving both drivers an initial taste of their new machine ahead of the Bahrain test in two weeks.
“Today is a significant milestone in our fight for the 2025 title. It’s fantastic to get our car, the MCL39, on track for the first time and to see the hard work of the team come to life,” said McLaren CEO Zak Brown.
“We have to be realistic: every team will have made progress over the winter. Last year showed how much the grid has tightened, which is great for the sport. We believe we’ve made further strides since the MCL38, which won the Constructors’ Championship.”
“But we won’t know where we stand until qualifying in Australia. We are a team that never stops pushing, and we’ll do everything we can to bring both championships back to Woking.”
Andrea Stella, McLaren F1 team principal, welcomed the early start to the season with a successful shakedown: “We are delighted to see the MCL39 take to the track for the first time today at Silverstone.”
“While we ended last year as champions, 2024 highlighted the fierce competitiveness of the grid, which will carry over into this season’s championship. We must remain focused to fight at the front in this tightly packed field. The year ahead will be exciting but incredibly challenging.”
“The team has worked extremely hard to be as prepared as possible for the start of the season. We have learned a lot from last year’s battles, and we are using that to achieve our goal for this season.”
“My thanks go to the entire team for their efforts in getting the car ready for today, as well as to our colleagues at Mercedes HPP for their continued collaboration. Now, we focus on the work ahead to ensure we maximize our testing time before the first competitive session in Australia.”
Drivers appreciate the camouflage livery
The drivers got their first taste of their new car, which builds on the strong foundations of the 2024 MCL38, a machine that claimed six race wins and the Constructors’ Championship.
“It’s exciting to get into the MCL39 for the first time and see what it can do on track before pre-season testing in Bahrain. The camouflage livery looks cool, and it’s great to showcase something different before revealing our full livery at the official F1 75 launch,” said Norris.
“Thank you to the entire team for the work they have done to get us to this stage. This year will be more competitive than ever, so we have a lot to do to defend our Constructors’ title and aim for the Drivers’ Championship.”
“I’ve been working at the McLaren Technology Centre to prepare for the upcoming season, and the atmosphere is positive but focused. We’re all eager to get the car on track in Bahrain before our season debut in Australia and see where we stand against the other teams. It’s going to be an exciting year.”
Piastri also enjoyed the first run in the temporary livery
“It’s great to get behind the wheel of the MCL39 for the first time before putting it to the test in Bahrain. The camouflage livery looks cool, and I’m looking forward to revealing what we’ll be racing in this season during the official livery launch next week,” said Piastri.
“I’ve worked hard over the off-season to be ready for the year ahead. The margins at the top will likely be incredibly tight, but I’m excited about the room for growth I have after two seasons in this sport. Winning Grands Prix early in my career has given me a taste for success, and I want even more.”
“As a team, we can build on strong momentum for 2025 after such a fantastic 2024 season. A huge thank you to everyone, both at the factory and at the track, for all the hard work so far.”
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MCL39 Hits Silverstone as McLaren Steals the Spotlight MCL39 Hits Silverstone as McLaren Steals the Spotlight MCL39 Hits Silverstone as McLaren Steals the Spotlight
