McLaren F1 Team today unveiled their new driver line-up and 2023 challenger in front of fans and the world’s media at their headquarters in Woking, ahead of the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
The team welcomed their sixtieth anniversary celebrations by welcoming new rookie driver Oscar Piastri, who replaced seasoned veteran Daniel Ricciardo as the team look to propel themselves back into fourth place in the constructors championship. As well as Piastri, McLaren welcomed the promotion of Andrea Stella from Executive Director to F1 Team Principal.
Piastri races alongside Lando Norris, who enters his fifth year in Formula 1 after collecting his sixth podium at the 2022 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Norris promises to keep improving having scored the large majority of McLaren’s points in 2022.
The 2023 challenger for McLaren is called the MCL60 to celebrate the 60th anniversary in a break from their previous naming convention. The MCL60 is coloured in papaya orange and blue, the team’s original colours from the 1960s, which have become a fan favourite since their reintroduction in 2018.
CEO of McLaren Racing, Zak Brown, spoke on the launch and welcomed Piastri to the team.
“We are delighted to launch our 2023 Formula 1 team with Lando and Oscar at the wheel as we celebrate 60 years of McLaren Racing. This year’s driver line-up is extremely exciting as Lando, an intelligent and confident driver with excellent pace, is joined by one of the biggest up-and-coming talents in motorsport in Oscar.”
Brown discussed a rather challenging season in 2022 and how he hopes that a new spearhead in Stella will help the team push forward. The long serving CEO also spoke on the team’s 60th year anniversary.
“2022 was a challenging season in our continued effort to push towards the front of the grid. We learnt a lot that has been taken into the off-season as the entire team works hard to prepare for another year. Under the guidance of Andrea Stella, who moved into the position of Team Principal in December 2022, we have an excellent team to spearhead the 2023 season and can look forward to seeing our young driver duo continue to grow their partnership throughout the upcoming campaign.
“Being one of the oldest teams on the Formula 1 grid and marking our 60 year anniversary as a racing team is an excellent achievement. We have a wealth of history dating back to when Bruce McLaren first formed McLaren Racing in 1963, therefore, it is appropriate we honour the last six decades through our 2023 competitor’s name, the MCL60. This is the start of several anniversary commemorations that will be exhibited throughout the year.
“We’re now looking forward to heading back to being on track in Bahrain. It’ll be great to see the MCL60 in action ahead of the 2023 season. Let’s go racing!”
