Why is McLaren’s 2026 F1 car not orange?

mclaren on x — Photo: © Image credit: McLaren on X

F1 Testing 2026

Why is McLaren’s 2026 F1 car not orange?

McLaren will sport a different look in Barcelona

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Wednesday 28 January 2026 15:27

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McLaren will sport an entirely black F1 livery for their shakedown in Barcelona, but don't worry, it's not here to stay.

The private test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya (Monday, January 26 until Friday, January 30), has brought a brief interruption to F1's livery launch season.

Thus far, Red Bull, Racing Bulls, Haas, Audi, Mercedes, Alpine and Ferrari have unveiled their 2026 liveries, with just Williams, Cadillac, Aston Martin and McLaren to go.

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However, these four remaining teams will be waiting until February to showcase their 2026 designs, before which five days of testing will take place in Barcelona.

The reigning champions McLaren will be the last team to unveil their 2026 livery and will host their car launch on February 9.

Therefore, prior to testing, the team launched their interim livery without a hint of papaya, as to not spoil their grand reveal in Bahrain next month.

When will McLaren take part in F1 testing?

Before their arrival in Barcelona, it was announced that McLaren would miss the first day of testing on Monday, with Andrea Stella citing development as the reason for this minor delay.

The team were potentially going to run the MCL40 on day two (Tuesday), but changeable weather conditions and rain caused them to cancel any running.

Instead they will make their 2026 debut on track on day three (Wednesday, January 28).

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What is a shakedown?

A shakedown refers to the first time teams can properly run their cars on track, like a pre-season health check.

Teams get the chance to test out all of the new design features on their new cars without limitations, with no maximum limit put on the number of laps they are allowed to do each day.

The private shakedown means the press do not have access, and only a small crew are admitted to film content for teams and drivers.

Nevertheless, Sky Sports F1 will be on hand to guide viewers through the Barcelona shakedown, with a testing highlights show broadcast at 9pm (GMT) every night of the week of the test. The show will then be available on Sky F1's official YouTube channel.

F1 McLaren pre-season testing