McLaren unveils a special livery for the Australian Grand Prix
While it had sported a fully chrome livery throughout all of the winter tests, the McLaren team unveiled a new livery marking the 20th anniversary of the partnership with Mobil 1.
Time difference obliges, the confirmation of the first rumors, born from the presence of black body parts in front of the McLaren stand in Melbourne, took place late in the evening: McLaren will sport a special livery in the colors of Mobil 1, a specialist in automotive fuels and lubricants, for the Australian Grand Prix.
This livery, combining the usual chrome gray with the black of the American-German brand, is reminiscent of the McLaren liveries from the late 1990s and early 2000s, during the partnership with the cigarette brand West.
The adventure between Mobil 1 and McLaren began in 1995, and the Australian race will mark the 333rd Grand Prix of collaboration between the two brands. Jonathan Neale, the Chief Operating Officer at McLaren, expressed in a statement: « We are privileged to have worked so closely with ExxonMobil. During 332 races together, we have won four world championship titles, 78 wins, 229 podiums, and 76 pole positions: an impressive testament to our strong technological partnership. Seeing the Mobil fuel brand on the MP4-29 alongside Mobil 1 is a great recognition of the contribution our relationship has made to performance over these two decades. »
Artis Brown, the motorsport manager at Mobil 1 explains the approach: « To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the partnership between Mobil 1 and McLaren, we went further by introducing a special livery for the first race of the 2014 season. There is a lot of energy in this race. We are not only celebrating our 20th anniversary with McLaren, but we are also welcoming Kevin Magnussen to the team. When you combine these elements with the introduction of the new V6 engine, it should be an exciting weekend. »
