We've Seen Enough: McLaren Has The Snazziest Indy 500 Liveries
The NTT IndyCar series is in Long Beach, California, but Arrow McLaren decided to drop some Indianapolis 500 liveries.
The team had previously announced that they would run liveries celebrating their triple crown of motorsports victories. That means wins at Indy, in the Monaco Grand Prix, and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Of course, they're running a fourth car this year which will be driven by Tony Kanaan. Unfortunately for TK, he won't be wheeling around Indy in one of these liveries because all three are absolutely stunning (although they did tease something for his No. 66 which will be unveiled next week).
Egad, man.
Let's go through these real quick. In the video, the team showed the cars off in descending order based on driver numbers. IndyCar fans will know that this means they showed off Alexander Rossi's No. 7 Chevrolet first.
Alexander Rossi's No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
McLaren's first Indy win came in 1972 with Mark Donohue. However, 2016 Indianapolis 500-winner Alexander Rossi's livery is a nod to the McLaren M16C that Johnny Rutherford drove to victory at the 1974 Indianapolis 500. Rutherford won again in '76 once again driving a McLaren.
It's classic McLaren papaya orange — and a lot of it — with some splashes of the team's more traditional darker blue. It's a great, classic look.
Now, let's see what his teammate Felix Rosenqvist will be driving in his first outing with Arrow McLaren.
Felix Rosenqvists's No.6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
Oh... be still, my heart.
Formula 1 fans will immediately know what this is a nod to. It's a tip o' the cap to the all-conquering McLarens of the 1980s. The team says Rossi's livery is specifically based on the McLaren MP4-2, which Alain Prost drove to a Monaco Grand Prix win in 1984.
That may be the specific win, but that's an incredible homage to the Prost-Senna era of the late 1980s too.
Those Marlboro chevrons could prove controversial what with tobacco killing a lot of people, but damn, they make for a beautiful livery, don't they?
I could stare at this thing all day, but we need to move on. Let's check out Pato O'Ward's ride.
*Cue "Back In Black" by AC/DC or any other song with "black" in the title. Maybe "Black Betty" by Ram Jam.
Pato O'Ward's No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
O'Ward — who I think (and I think a lot of people think this too) is one of the favorites to win on Memorial Day Weekend — will blend in with the tarmac at the Brickyard. That thing is stealthy.
It's based on the No. 59 McLaren F1 GTR driven by JJ Lehto, Yannick Dalmas, and Masanori Sekiya which was the overall winner at the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans
IndyCar folks might remember the Rokit liveries AJ Foyt Racing has used on some cars in recent years. This livery reminds me of those, but it's a bit more refined and subdued.
It's a great look, and I think it'll strike fear into the heart of any driver who sees it in their mirrors. Although, as I said, I'm not sure how much time the 23-year-old Mexican will spend behind other cars.
This livery dump (I mean that in the best way possible) has me so pumped for the Indy 500, which is just over a month away.
Follow on Twitter: @Matt_Reigle