McLaren F1 make MAJOR change in 2025 release

McLaren

McLaren make MAJOR change in 2025 release

McLaren are hoping to retain their F1 constructors' crown in 2025

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Thursday 13 February 2025 19:54

McLaren Formula 1 team have revealed a major change ahead of the 2025 season opener.

This year's championship will open with the Australian Grand Prix weekend on March 14-16, with the papaya outfit hoping to get a good result straight out of the gate following their 2024 championship success.

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Last season, McLaren emerged as the strongest team among the competitive pack, toppling Red Bull from their top spot in the constructors' standings and eventually beating Ferrari to victory after a fight down to the wire in Abu Dhabi.

Star driver Lando Norris secured his fourth career victory at the season finale and cemented the team's first win in the constructors' championship since 1998.

McLaren are the reigning constructors' world champions

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri remain as McLaren's stellar driver duo

Click here to shop the full 2025 papaya merch range following their championship success last season.

McLaren reveal striking MCL39 livery

Between them, Norris and his team-mate Oscar Piastri achieved six grands prix wins in 2024, but their consistent presence in the points managed to keep them above their closest rivals Ferrari and Red Bull in the team standings.

Despite moments where it wasn't clear who the team were willing to label as their star driver, McLaren worked well as a unit for the most part and will no doubt be looking to go one better this season by stealing the drivers' title from Max Verstappen.

With Norris currently the favourite to dethrone the Dutchman, McLaren need to provide the British star with competitive machinery to give him a chance of getting closer to Verstappen than last year.

The new season may not start until March, but February is a busy month for F1 as the championship celebrates its 75th year. To honour the occasion, all 10 F1 teams will debut their new cars in front of a live audience at the O2 in London next week.

McLaren have now been the first team to reveal their 2025 challenger with a different livery, as Norris and Piastri shared 200 kilometres of permitted time on the track at Silverstone.

A key rule of the F1 75 Live launch event at the O2 next week was that all teams refrain from leaking their new cars ahead of the big night.

Instead, McLaren have run a striking papaya and black camo livery which differs significantly from their 2024 look, with the team choosing to run the new design at Silverstone so as not to spoil the big unveiling on February 18.

McLaren have also released an exclusive camo range as part of their official team kit release for 2025, click here to shop the collection now.

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Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here that she confirmed her dream of combining her background in journalism and love of motorsport, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan.

View full biography

Lando Norris Aston Martin Australian Grand Prix constructors' championship