McLaren Will Run Stunning Senna Tribute Livery At Monaco

McLaren could very well be running toward the front this weekend in Monaco, but don’t look for their usual papaya orange out on the track.

The team loves to use a special livery at Monaco and this year they're going to hit the streets of the principality with an absolute stunner that pays tribute to legendary driver Ayrton Senna.

Now, there was some special McLaren/Monaco merch floating around online that hinted at the possibility of a special livery. The merchandise all used a red, white, and black color scheme that had a lot of people (myself included) assuming that the special livery would be based on the one Senna-era Marlboro liveries of the late 1980s and early 1990s that appeared on iconic cars like the McLaren MP4/4.

However, while they will still pay tribute to Senna 30 years after his tragic death during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, they went in another direction with the livery.

Check this bad boy out…

If you're familiar with F1 and more specifically Senna, you'll have no trouble recognizing that that livery is a nod to Senna's iconic yellow, green. and blue helmet design that used the colors of his native Brazil.

Senna won six times at Monaco — including five in a row between 1989 and 1993 — earning him the nickname "King of Monaco" and for most of his career, he used a yellow helmet with green and blue stripes.

"The team is proud to recognize and celebrate the extraordinary life and racing legacy of Ayrton Senna through this McLaren livery. Senna remains revered and respected as Formula 1’s greatest icon, and McLaren’s most decorated driver," McLaren CEO Zak Brown said in a statement. 

"His impact on McLaren is enormous, not only through his racing record but also presence within the team, and now his legacy, so it’s an honor to race for him at his most successful circuit in his green, yellow, and blue colors."

In addition to the livery, drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will wear special fire suits for the weekend.

The team will be hoping for a strong weekend after two strong races in a row in which Norris won at Miami and finished P2 at Imola.