McLaren preparing to mark its 1000th GP in Monaco

McLaren will mark its 1000th Formula 1 race weekend entry with a special livery and ceremony at the Monaco Grand Prix.

As only the second team to reach the 1000-race mark – after Ferrari, which achieved the feat in 2020 – McLaren will run a different design that it says includes “nods to our rich history with hidden gems recognizing important milestones, from our first race, victories and championship wins, to the triple crown and our world record pit stop.”

The livery will be used in both Monaco and the Barcelona-Catalunya race that follows, while the team will also celebrate its milestone on the grid in Monaco during the lead-up to the race weekend. Thursday will see McLaren’s first F1 car – the M2B – lining up alongside the current MCL40, with drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri joining CEO Zak Brown, team principal Andrea Stella and F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali for the moment.

All of the team's living grand prix winners have also been invited to Monte Carlo for the grid line-up to join a commemoration will take place at the same venue as McLaren’s first entry in 1966.

“Lining up on the grid to race McLaren’s 1000th grand prix in Monaco this year provides a perfect opportunity to recognize our rich history in motorsport,” Brown said. “We’re only the second team to reach this incredible milestone, so what better moment to reflect on our past, our present and our future.

“Throughout our past, this team has always shown grit and determination, whether that be in periods of success or the trickier times. McLaren Never Quits, and this livery and the moment on Thursday is a special way to celebrate how far we’ve come. We look forward to running it out on track and recognizing what we have achieved from our first race, here in Monaco back in 1966, through to now. Here’s to 1000 more.”

McLaren will celebrate the milestone as defending champions after the team and Norris both won titles in 2025. As well as being second to Ferrari on the all-time entry list, it similarly sits behind the Scuderia in terms of victories, with 203 compared to Ferrari’s 248.

“It’s a very special weekend for us as we celebrate such an incredible milestone," Norris said. "The livery looks fantastic, and where better to celebrate this than at one of the most iconic races on the calendar and the location of the team’s first grand prix.

"To have played my small part in McLaren’s incredible history is something I am very proud of. McLaren is a team I looked up to when I was younger and it’s an honour to represent the men and women that make up this team for its 1000th GP.”