Overview
- McLaren will celebrate what the team says is its 1,000th Formula One grand prix start at the Monaco Grand Prix on June 7 with a one‑off metallic papaya and anthracite livery on its MCL40 cars.
- The team will stage a grid commemoration on Thursday that places its first F1 car, the 1966 M2B, alongside the current MCL40 and invites past McLaren grand prix winners and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali to attend.
- McLaren has also launched the McLaren Artura 1000GP by MSO as a limited road‑car edition tied to the milestone, using the celebration to boost merchandise, fan activations and brand visibility.
- Coverage notes a factual caveat: most outlets treat Monaco as the 1,000th start but one report says two non‑starts in China mean Barcelona could formally be the true 1,000th, creating a numbering dispute.
- The occasion underlines McLaren’s return to form — only the second F1 team after Ferrari to reach roughly 1,000 starts — and recalls the team’s record roughly 203 wins, 13 drivers’ titles and 10 constructors’ championships while signalling new commercial strategies.