Yahoo Autos McLaren Pays Tribute to Ayrton Senna with One-Off Livery for Monaco GP
In honor of the 30th anniversary of Ayrton Senna's untimely death in May 1994, McLaren announced on Tuesday that they will be honoring the racing great with a custom livery on their Formula 1 cars as, well as a McLaren Senna from McLaren’s own heritage collection. Senna raced for McLaren between 1988 to 1993, and won the Monaco Grand Prix five times while with the team.
The McLaren Senna, in case you've forgotten, is the most extreme track-ready street car McLaren has ever made — and the Senna Sempre livery that covers this example had to live up to those high standards. The paints, which represent the Brazilian flag, are brought together using a wash technique developed by McLaren Special Operations (MSO). The green and white boarders around the glass are inspired by the iconic Senna race helmet.
Arguably the most visually striking feature of the Senna Sempre livery are the depictions of Senna himself. MSO paint technicians hand-applied dot-matrix representations of Senna both on and off the track.
“Ayrton Senna was born to race, and his passion for performance and perfection lives on at McLaren," McLaren Automotive CEO Michael Leiters said in a statement. "The McLaren Senna bears his name and embodies his spirit – it is the ultimate road-going McLaren for focused track performance, and this masterfully detailed inspiration captures Ayrton’s infectious energy. Our collaboration with McLaren Racing to honor the Senna racing legacy 30 years on is a shared celebration of Ayrton’s unique racing abilities, and the Monaco street circuit he made his own is the perfect place to reflect on his incredible achievements.”
The MCL38 F1 cars driven by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri this weekend also features a vibrant yellow, green and blue colorway inspired by Senna’s iconic race helmet.
“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," said McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown. "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.”
The Monaco race weekend kicks off with free practice 1 on Thursday, May 23, and concludes with the race on Sunday, May 26. The McLaren Senna with the Senna Sempre livery will be on display in Monaco throughout the entire Grand Prix weekend. And who knows — if Norris keeps showing the luck and skill that he has in the last two races, we may see Senna's colors once again on the podium in Monaco.
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