Overview
- McLaren confirmed on July 1, 2026 that its MCL40 will run a special white-and-green livery at Silverstone that explicitly references the 1966 M2B and the team’s 1,000th Grand Prix celebrations.
- The paintwork was developed with sponsor Google Gemini and replaces McLaren’s papaya scheme for the Silverstone weekend as a visual link between the team’s first car and its modern programme.
- McLaren is deploying Google technology in race operations, using Gemini Enterprise and a Google Cloud tool to let engineers and strategists search FIA regulations faster and to bring siloed telemetry into a single voice-accessible interface.
- Off-track activations include a free, multi-day public 'Gemini Paddock' exhibition at the Truman Brewery in east London and a Saturday MP4/1 demonstration run by former McLaren driver John Watson.
- McLaren frames the livery and tech rollout as part of a push to sharpen performance in a tight four-way championship fight with Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes, and to address Silverstone’s high-speed, energy and tyre-management demands.