The defending F1 Constructors’ Champions unveiled their 2025 challenger at Silverstone
McLaren Formula 1 fans were treated to images of the team’s 2025 challenger, complete with a striking camouflage livery, as the team put the MCL39 through a filming session at historic Silverstone Circuit on Thursday.
However, if those fans were hoping that was the team’s official look for the 2025 season, they are in for a bit of disappointment.
McLaren brought their new challenger to the track for a filming day, but the team confirmed they will unveil their 2025 livery at the upcoming F1 season launch event next week at The O2 in London. According to the team “[t]he design will feature some of the world’s biggest brands and [organizations] as McLaren’s valuable partners continue to support the team both on and off track.”
The team also confirmed that this year’s challenger would be named the MCL39, keeping with their recent naming conventions.
“Today is a big milestone in our journey in the fight for the 2025 title. It’s great to get our Championship challenger, the MCL39, on track for the first time and to launch the culmination of the team’s hard work,” said McLaren CEO Zak Brown.
“We must be realistic that every team will have made progress over the winter. Last year highlighted just how much the grid has closed up, which is a brilliant thing for the sport. We believe we have made further steps forward since the Championship-winning MCL38 but we won’t know where we sit in the standings until we get into Qualifying in Australia,” added Brown. “We’re a team that never stops racing and we’ll be giving it our all to bring both Championships back to Woking.”
Team Principal Andrea Stella predicted a “challenging” season.
“We are excited to see the MCL39 hit the track for the first time at Silverstone Circuit today. Whilst we finished last year as Champions, 2024 highlighted how highly competitive the grid is, which is something that will carry through to this year’s Championship. We therefore must keep focused to compete at the front in this tight field. It’s going to be an exciting but incredibly challenging year ahead,” said Stella.
“The team have worked extremely hard to prepare as best as possible for the start of the season. We learned a lot from our battles last year, so we take this and use it to push our goal for the year,” added the McLaren boss.
“My thanks go to the entire team for their work to get the car ready for today, as well as our colleagues at Mercedes HPP for their continued collaboration. We now focus on the work ahead to ensure we maximise our time in testing before the first competitive session in Australia.”
The drivers also took to the track in one-off race kits, dubbed “stealth mode” by the team:
Stealth mode: activated ✔️#McLaren pic.twitter.com/vOUC05VldP
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) February 13, 2025
Lando Norris, believed by many to be a front-runner for the 2025 F1 Drivers’ Championship, also predicted a “competitive” season.
“It’s exciting to hop in the MCL39 for the first time and see what it can do on track, ahead of pre-season testing in Bahrain. The camo livery is a fun one and it’s great to be able to showcase something different ahead of our full livery reveal at the official F175 launch,” said Norris.
“Thank you to the entire team for their work in getting us to this point. This year will be more competitive than ever, so we’ve got a lot to do to be able to retain our Constructors’ title and go for the Drivers’ as well,” added Norris.
“I’ve been back at the MTC prepping for the season ahead and the mood is feeling positive but focused. We’re all looking forward to getting the car on track in Bahrain ahead of our competitive debut in Australia and to see where we net out amongst the other teams. It’s shaping up to be an exciting season.”
Oscar Piastri, who broke through with a pair of Grand Prix wins last season, hopes to carry the team’s momentum into 2025.
“It’s great to get behind the wheel of the MCL39 for the first time ahead of us putting it through its paces in Bahrain. The camo livery looks cool and I am excited to showcase what we’ll be racing in this season at the official livery reveal next week,” said Piastri.
“I have been working hard in the off-season to ensure I am ready for the season ahead. The margins at the top are likely to be incredibly tight but I’m excited by the room for growth after two seasons in the sport. Winning Grands Prix early in my career has given me the taste for success and I want much more,” added the Australian driver.
“As a team, we can take great momentum into 2025 after such a brilliant year in 2024. A big thank you to everyone back at base and trackside for all the hard work that’s been done so far.”
