McLaren reveals stunning Triple Crown retro liveries

The special Triple Crown tribute liveries McLaren will showcase at the 2023 Indianapolis 500 have been revealed.

As part of McLaren’s 60th anniversary celebrations, three of the team’s four cars will race with some of the most recognisable looks of the past.

Each livery to be driven by Pato O’Ward, Felix Rosenqvist and Alexander Rossi celebrates each of McLaren’s Triple Crown wins as a constructor.

The one that stands out the most is arguably the one to be driven by Rosenqvist, who is bringing back one of the most famous looks in motorsport.

Felix Rosenqvist is bringing back McLaren’s famous red and white livery from the 1980’s and 1990’s. Image: McLaren

His #6 Dallara Chevrolet is paying tribute to Alain Prost’s 1984 Monaco Grand Prix winning McLaren – the second part of McLaren’s Triple Crown and first of the team’s record 15 wins at the principality.

Those famous red and white colours covered McLaren’s Formula 1 cars from the early 1970’s all the way until 1996, while it was also commonly seen in IndyCar and Australia, with Peter Brock scoring both of his famous Bathurst 1000 hat-tricks in a similar livery.

The first driver to put McLaren on course to the Triple Crown was Johnny Rutherford, who drove a M16C/D from 25th on the grid to a 22s victory in the 1974 Indianapolis 500.

Alexander Rossi will stand out in an all papaya car paying tribute to Johnny Rutherford’s 1974 Indy 500 winner. Image: McLaren

Rutherford carried an all papaya livery, which is synonymous with the early days of McLaren and made a comeback when it returned to the Formula 1 team in 2017.

The full papaya look will be back at the Brickyard this year when Rossi turns heads in his #7 McLaren IndyCar.

The third win to complete McLaren’s Triple Crown was the 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours race when JJ Lehto, Yannick Dalmas and Masanori Sekiya drove a McLaren F1 GTR to victory after 298 soaked laps around the famous Circuit de la Sarthe.

Felix Rosenqvist will be driving a black beast celebrating McLaren’s 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours triumph. Image: McLaren

The all black look on the F1 GTR has been brought onto O’Ward’s #5 IndyCar to complete the set.

With three iconic liveries being brought to the Brickyard, McLaren CEO Zak Brown is thrilled with the result.

“I am proud to unveil these iconic commemorative liveries, celebrating McLaren’s historic Triple Crown accomplishment for our 60th anniversary,” he said. 

“They look incredible and I cannot wait to see our guys race them on track.”

The 2023 Indianapolis 500 will be staged on Monday, May 29 AEDT.

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