McLaren was ahead of the game in revealing its new livery for the 2024 F1 season, and now it has fully unveiled its latest race car, the MCL38. While the recent images offer a glimpse of some updates fans can expect numerous changes during the upcoming pre-season test.
What’s New with the McLaren MCL38?
The MCL38 boasts fresh papaya and black livery with chrome accents, departing from the blue tones seen on previous McLarens since 2018. This year, exposed carbon fiber has become a prevalent trend across the grid as teams seek to minimize paint and wrap to reduce weight.
McLaren made significant strides last year, thanks to effective upgrades introduced mid-season. The MCL60 initially struggled, with McLaren scoring only 17 points in the first eight rounds. However, the team executed a remarkable turnaround, accumulating 285 points since implementing the upgrades—enough to secure fourth place in the 2023 standings, surpassing Aston Martin.
The limited images of the MCL38 released thus far showcase a tighter sidepod undercut, similar to the Aston Martin AMR24, along with several additional tweaks.
Team Principal Andrea Stella stressed that the group is determined to maintain the momentum from the previous campaign. "As we head into this year, we aim to capitalize on the progress made and competitiveness found by every team for their 2024 cars. With our infrastructure, personnel, and culture in place, we are poised to continue pushing forward and reclaiming our position at the front of the grid."
Stella acknowledged that while there are several innovations on the car, not all areas targeted for improvement have been completed for the launch-spec vehicle. These areas will now be the primary focus of the team's in-season development, which is already underway.
McLaren’s 2024 F1 Drivers
McLaren maintains an unchanged driver lineup for 2024, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at the helm. Andrea Stella embarks on his second year as Team Principal. On the technical side, McLaren welcomes ex-Red Bull technical executive Rob Marshall and former Ferrari aero specialist David Sanchez, who both commenced their roles with the team on January 2.
Pre-season testing is set to kick off in Bahrain from February 21 to 23, preceding the season opener at the same venue from February 29 to March 2.