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McLaren have revealed a special ‘Riviera-inspired’ livery enhancement that will run on their Formula 1 cars at the upcoming Monaco and Spanish Grands Prix.
In collaboration with team partner OKX, the livery change is a nod to McLaren’s iconic M7A race car, while “drawing inspiration from the elegance of the Riviera”.
The M7A was the car with which founder Bruce McLaren claimed the team’s first F1 victory at the 1968 Belgian Grand Prix – as well as being the machine that debuted their now legendary papaya livery.
McLaren’s new design will run on both MCL39s throughout the entirety of the Monaco and Spanish Grand Prix weekends, with drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri also sporting fresh overalls in Monaco.
“We’re always proud to be able to celebrate our storied legacy,” said Louise McEwen, Chief Marketing Officer at McLaren Racing.
“Working with OKX on this latest livery enhancement is a great way to not only celebrate this history, but also the innovation and forward-thinking nature that inspires both McLaren and OKX brands. I can’t wait to see the cars on track over the next two race weekends.”
It is not the first time McLaren have run a bespoke livery in Monaco, with the squad unveiling an Ayrton Senna-inspired design for last year’s Grand Prix on the streets of the Principality.
Lance Stroll has been given a one-place grid penalty following his collision with Charles Leclerc during Friday’s first practice session for the Monaco Grand Prix.
Stroll and Leclerc clashed in unusual fashion in the early stages of FP1 when the Aston Martin driver came back onto the racing line under braking for the hairpin after moving over for another car.
Haas rookie Ollie Bearman has been hit with a 10-place grid penalty for the Monaco Grand Prix after the stewards found him guilty of a red flag breach during practice.
Television replays showed Bearman appearing to overtake Carlos Sainz under the red flags triggered by Oscar Piastri’s crash in Friday’s second session, with the stewards subsequently noting the incident.
After Bearman and a Haas team representative visited the stewards, and various footage and data was analysed, the panel came to the conclusion that Bearman should be hit with the sizeable grid drop.
It means at least two drivers will begin Saturday’s all-important Qualifying session with penalties to their name, given Lance Stroll’s earlier sanction for an FP1 clash involving Charles Leclerc.
“Well prior to the overtake, the session had been red flagged,” read the stewards’ decision document. “The team informed the driver rather late, just before the overtake happened. However, it is clear from the video footage that there was a light panel directly in front of the driver which showed the red flag; and the dashboard also indicated the red flag well before the overtake took place.
“The regulations require the drivers to ‘immediately’ reduce speed and proceed slowly back to their respective pits (Article 2.5.4.1 b)). The same regulations caution drivers of the fact that in a red flag situation, ‘overtaking is forbidden’ and that drivers should ‘remember that race and service vehicles may be on the track…’.
“The driver claimed that he saw the red flags but decided not to slow down abruptly because he felt that slowing down abruptly would have been more dangerous and that what he did was a safer way of handling the situation.
“We disagreed with his decision to not take steps to slow down sufficiently to avoid overtaking another car and instead proceeding slowly back to the pits, as required.
“The whole purpose of requiring drivers to slow down immediately is for safety – they will not know what is in front of them or the reason for the red flag being shown. This is particularly so in a track like Monaco.
“In the circumstances, there is no mitigating factor for the fact that he overtook a car under red flag and we therefore imposed a penalty of a 10-grid place drop for the race and two penalty points.”
Or limit the content of all communication; no griping/pissing/moaning about "he pushed me off the track/ignored the yellow/is crazy, etc., no engineering from the pits telling the driver what fuel/brake/diff/clutch setting to use, no giving delta times to gain places; just a simple box, turn off the car, pull off the track and advice about the proximity of other drivers approaching as you're doing a pit out or in lap.
Or limit the content of all communication; no griping/pissing/moaning about "he pushed me off the track/ignored the yellow/is crazy, etc., no engineering from the pits telling the driver what fuel/brake/diff/clutch setting to use, no giving delta times to gain places; just a simple box, turn off the car, pull off the track and advice about the proximity of other drivers approaching as you're doing a pit out or in lap.
Yup. Only communication should be contained in what can be fitted on the pit board. Basically instructions to pit. Whoever is in the cockpit makes all other decisions. As it stands, the drivers have no race craft. Pacing is dictated by the pits.
Meh, radio's have been around in motorsport since the 60's. F1 since the 80's and digital data telemetry since the 90's. It's part of the sport and in tune with obtaining the best team results. I see nothing wrong with it as all teams can have it, it's relatively cheap technology so it can help level the playing field for the lesser teams. In terms of Monaco and the parade like show, it's the same problem for over the past half century. The cars are physically too big to effectively pass unless there's rain which is the great equalizer at Monaco.
The Aston Martin Formula 1 team's chief trackside officer Mike Krack has dismissed certain speculation around the injury that ruled Lance Stroll out of the Spanish Grand Prix as "paddock gossip".
Stroll missed the Barcelona race as Aston Martin said he has been suffering from pain in his hand and wrist that is a legacy of the surgery he had following a cycling accident in early 2023, which forced him to miss pre-season testing.
The team said on Saturday night that Stroll would undergo a procedure to address the problem but did not disclose anything else. It confirmed on Tuesday morning that this procedure had now taken place.
At Barcelona, there was quickly speculation about the circumstances of Stroll's injury, why it had not emerged previously, and how it was handled - with the stewards formally warning Aston Martin for not alerting them to Stroll's medical issue, as he stayed in the garage instead of reporting immediately to be weighed after Q2.
Stroll returned to the garage after his Q2 elimination and spent five minutes inside with his team before proceeding out the back via the paddock.
This was in contravention of F1's rules that require a driver to report immediately to being weighed, down the pitlane, but the stewards accepted there was a medical condition being tended to as Stroll said he needed urgent assistance.
One version of events that quickly gained traction at Barcelona was that Stroll had lost his temper after qualifying 14th, criticised team members, and potentially injured his hand or aggravated the pre-existing problem by hitting a hard surface in the garage.
Krack described this as "paddock gossip" and said "I was on the pitwall and I've not heard anything like that".
He did not comment directly on whether Stroll lost his temper although a team spokesperson said earlier in the weekend that "Lance was upset" and the injury and the episode in the garage were unrelated.
Aston Martin said that Stroll has been experiencing pain for the last six weeks.
Taken at face value that period covers the Saudi Arabian, Miami, Imola, Monaco and Spain weekends, during which Stroll was outqualified by Fernando Alonso every time although he did get a points finish in the Miami sprint race thanks to - ironically - a safety car caused by Alonso crashing out.
As the problem presumably escalated in Spain in some way, either Stroll himself felt that he was no longer able to keep driving or the medical advice he was being given changed.
Krack said that Stroll had mentioned his discomfort during that recent period and suggested he had been in more pain than he let on.
"Over the last weeks, there was the mention of pain," said Krack. "You do not ask every five minutes, 'Do you have pain or not?', you know, you have a chat here with a physio, or here a chat, and you understand that there are some small issues.
"With drivers, and we have seen with Lance in 2023 when he fought his way back, they want to drive. They do not want to be out.
"Often they drive with probably more pain than they would even admit to be able to drive, because this is what they love to do.
"So, over the last weeks, there was a mention here and there, but you're never aware how much it is.
"I think it was just getting too much. After qualifying, Lance and his team decided it was better to go and check again, and then the recommendation was: better not race."
Aston Martin's initial announcement did not give an indication of when his procedure would happen, what kind of operation was required and how much time Stroll would need to recover. But it said on Tuesday morning that it had now been completed by the same team that operated on him in 2023, when renowned MotoGP surgeon Dr Xavier Mir and his team led the process.
His initial surgery in 2023 was quite extensive after injuring both hands and his leg, but Stroll was back in the car and racing at the season opener within a fortnight.
That was felt by some to be too soon in the circumstances and, while any suggestion that the process was rushed was dismissed by Stroll and Aston Martin at the time, later that year - when Stroll was struggling and his form was criticised - it was claimed that his start to the season had been compromised by the impact of his injuries.
Given he is now said to be suffering pain related to that initial surgery, it would seem logical not to rush any procedure or recovery period.
Krack said it is "a little bit difficult to predict anything" and "we will have to see what the next days are bringing".
But he did say that Aston Martin's 'Plan A' is for Stroll to race at home in Canada in two weeks' time, so clearly there is at least some expectation that this is not that severe.
Aston Martin has two official reserve drivers: Felipe Drugovich, who deputised for Stroll in the 2023 pre-season test and has driven the 2025 car in FP1 already in Bahrain, and Stoffel Vandoorne.
It also has access to Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas.
Drugovich is a regular presence at F1 races, has a lot of experience in different Aston Martin F1 cars and on the simulator, and would be the obvious choice to stand in for Stroll and make his grand prix debut.
He could not substitute for the Spanish GP, though, because Stroll withdrew too late in the weekend.
And the Canadian GP is awkward for Aston Martin because both Drugovich and Vandoorne are set to contest the Le Mans 24 Hours that weekend in the top class, Vandoorne for Peugeot and Drugovich for Cadillac.
When Krack mentioned Stroll racing is "Plan A, and that is what we are working to" he said if that does not work then it will need Plan B but "obviously, we always knew that Le Mans was going to happen".
He said that Aston Martin has priority over either of its Le Mans-bound drivers, so if either Drugovich or Vandoorne is needed, they will be pulled from that and race in Canada.
Presumably a decision is needed this week given the Le Mans test day is at the weekend, but Krack would not elaborate on a timeline.
"We wait to see what the next days are bringing and then we take a decision," he said.
Aston Martin has two official reserve drivers: Felipe Drugovich, who deputised for Stroll in the 2023 pre-season test and has driven the 2025 car in FP1 already in Bahrain, and Stoffel Vandoorne.
It also has access to Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas.
Drugovich is a regular presence at F1 races, has a lot of experience in different Aston Martin F1 cars and on the simulator, and would be the obvious choice to stand in for Stroll and make his grand prix debut.
...
And the Canadian GP is awkward for Aston Martin because both Drugovich and Vandoorne are set to contest the Le Mans 24 Hours that weekend in the top class, Vandoorne for Peugeot and Drugovich for Cadillac.
When Krack mentioned Stroll racing is "Plan A, and that is what we are working to" he said if that does not work then it will need Plan B but "obviously, we always knew that Le Mans was going to happen".
He said that Aston Martin has priority over either of its Le Mans-bound drivers, so if either Drugovich or Vandoorne is needed, they will be pulled from that and race in Canada.
I, too, have always been a fan of Valtteri, although I must admit that I'm not really a fan of the mullet and mustache look that he's adopted in recent years.
^ 2022 Alpine F1 car suspension analysis. What I found to be fascinating is the dampers are not individually adjustable, instead there is a rack full of dampers with various compression/rebound damping.
Cadillac has secured the first sponsor for its new Formula 1 team with a deal that will bring clothing brand Tommy Hilfiger back to grand prix racing.
As work continues at Cadillac's Silverstone base ahead of its debut F1 campaign in 2026, the team has started to pull together the commercial package that will help fund its operation.
And in a hint that it will be making the most of its American identity, the squad's first deal is a multi-year partnership with US clothing giant Tommy Hilfiger.
Beyond the company producing Cadillac's team kit and working with it on merchandise collections, its famous logo will appear on the car and drivers' suits and helmets.
The Cadillac deal marks a return to F1 sponsorship for Tommy Hilfiger too. Its association with grand prix teams began with Lotus in the early 1990s before it backed Ferrari later that decade.
Its most recent involvement was with Mercedes from 2018 until the end of last season, when, as its contract expired, the German manufacturer instead concluded a deal with sportswear brand Adidas from the start of 2025.
While not having any direct F1 team involvement this season, Tommy Hilfiger has retained a strong involvement in motorsport, being a partner of the F1 Academy and sponsor of Alba Larsen (below), supplying uniforms to F1 executives, as well as being involved with the new F1 movie.
Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon said that he felt Tommy Hilfiger was the perfect fit for the identity and ambition of his squad.
"We are an American team representing one of the most iconic American brands of all time," he said.
"Tommy Hilfiger, too, is an American icon, and the brand's legacy in Formula 1 is unmatched.
"As we bring a bold new vision to the paddock, this partnership truly reflects the spirit of what we're building. Together, we're not only racing, but driving innovation that will shape the future of both entertainment and engineering."
Tommy Hilfiger himself added: "Two icons. One vision. A bold new era of American motorsport.
"We're proud to continue our F1 story alongside TWG Motorsports and Cadillac. We share a vision to honour the heritage of F1 while pushing it forward - celebrating where we come from, and reimagining where we can go.
"As the sport's presence around the globe continues to soar, there's never been a better time to dream big, and show the world what an American team can bring to the grid."
A Formula 1 superlicence exemption request from Red Bull for its protege Arvid Lindblad is to be discussed by the FIA next week, The Race can reveal.
If Lindblad’s application is approved, then it will make the 17-year-old an immediate option if Red Bull finds itself in need of an F1 driver shuffle should Max Verstappen fall foul of a race ban.
The superlicence call is due to be made at a meeting of the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council at its Extraordinary General Assemblies and Conference in Macau next week.
There, the request will be to decide if Lindblad should be granted the exemption, even though he is currently below the normal minimum age of 18. Lindblad won't turn 18 until August, in the days after the Hungarian Grand Prix.
While Lindblad has fulfilled the criteria in securing enough superlicence points through success in junior categories, at 17, he is still too young for an application to be automatically approved.
That is because ever since Max Verstappen made his F1 debut at that age in 2015, the FIA has imposed a minimum age limit of 18 for superlicences.
Last year, however, an extra clause was added to the FIA’s International Sporting Code that allowed 17-year-olds to secure a superlicence if they displayed exceptional talent.
It was this clause which opened the door for Kimi Antonelli to secure a superlicence before his 18th birthday last year, even though he did not actually make his debut on a grand prix weekend until after then.
Article 13.1.2 of the FIA’s International Sporting Code Appendix L that relates to superlicences says: “At the sole discretion of the FIA, a driver judged to have recently and consistently demonstrated outstanding ability and maturity in single-seater formula car competition may be granted a Super Licence at the age of 17 years old.”
There seems to be little doubt that Lindblad is good enough based on his success in early career.
The 18 points he got for that went on top of his 15 points for finishing fourth in Formula 3 last year, plus 12 points across his Formula 4 campaigns in 2022.
He has also impressed in Formula 2 this year, and currently sits third in the championship after taking a sprint win in Jeddah and his first feature race victory in Spain last weekend.
Red Bull sees Lindblad as one of its stars of the future, and its application for a superlicence exemption was made quite a while ago, as the squad wanted him as a potential reserve driver.
Speaking to Auto Motor Und Sport in March, Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko said: "We have Ayumu Iwasa as our reserve driver.
“Lindblad has the points for the superlicence. We also completed a 300km test with him in a Formula 1 car at Imola, so he could theoretically step in.
"But he doesn't turn 18 until September [his 18th birthday is actually August 8]. That's why we're currently applying to the FIA for an exemption for the super licence. Antonelli got it, too.
"We see no reason why the same shouldn't be true for Lindblad. Then we'd already have two drivers on the bench."
While Red Bull’s request was made months ago, there has been no WMSC meeting since the end of February – which means no opportunity for it to be evaluated by the governing body.
And with Red Bull in no rush for the superlicence beforehand, there was no need to fast-track it through an extraordinary e-vote.
The timing of the Lindblad application coming up on the WMSC agenda right now, though is fortuitous, with the situation that Verstappen finds himself in, meaning Red Bull could find itself needing to take action.
Should Lindblad get the superlicence next week, then it will increase Red Bull’s F1 driver options in case it finds itself having to find a one-off replacement for Verstappen.
With points not coming off the reigning champion’s licence until the end of June, it means Verstappen needs to avoid any trouble over the course of the next two races in Canada and Austria.
While Red Bull is hoping that Verstappen can keep a clean nose, there is no guarantee that something untoward does not happen and the squad finds itself without its star driver for an event.
Were Red Bull to face such a situation, then it would almost certainly choose drivers within its own pool to replace him.
The most logical option would be for impressive rookie Isack Hadjar to step up from Racing Bulls for one race, to see what he can do in the main team.
The Frenchman has been one of the revelations of this season as he has delivered regular points and currently lies ninth in the drivers’ championship.
A Hadjar promotion to Red Bull for one race would likely leave Racing Bulls’ options being either Iwasa or Lindblad.
The team would then need to decide whether it is in Lindblad’s interests to get an F1 race weekend under his belt or it is better for him to focus on securing the F2 crown.
While approval for a superlicence could also make Lindblad an option to be promoted full-time to F1 soon, potentially after the summer break, it is understood that Red Bull is not eyeing any changes right now at either of its teams before the end of the season.
I, too, have always been a fan of Valtteri, although I must admit that I'm not really a fan of the mullet and mustache look that he's adopted in recent years.
But that's neither here nor there.
Originally Posted by 00TL-P3.2
As a VB/77 fan
he’ll have to serve his 5-place grid penalty from last year first but id like to see him race
Professionalism.
Meh, radio's have been around in motorsport since the 60's. F1 since the 80's and digital data telemetry since the 90's. It's part of the sport and in tune with obtaining the best team results. I see nothing wrong with it as all teams can have it, it's relatively cheap technology so it can help level the playing field for the lesser teams. In terms of Monaco and the parade like show, it's the same problem for over the past half century. The cars are physically too big to effectively pass unless there's rain which is the great equalizer at Monaco.
