McLaren unveils Ayrton Senna tributes for Monaco Grand Prix

McLaren has commemorated the 30th anniversary of the death of Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna with a pair of special liveries that will make their debut at this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix.

The British firm has painted one of its pre-production Senna hypercars in a unique scheme intended to celebrate the life and achievements of the triple champion.

The dominant colours in the livery are those of the Brazilian flag – yellow, green and blue – which featured prominently on Senna's iconic helmet design.

White and green pinstripes run around the glasshouse of the hypercar, in another reference to Senna’s helmet.

Dot-matrix patterns of Senna feature on the hypercar’s haunches, with the right side portraying him mid-race and the left side his face.

Senna’s double-S logo takes a more prominent place on the hypercar’s bonnet and rear spoiler.

The numbers featured around the car reference Senna’s five Monaco GP wins driving a McLaren. He remains the driver to have won the race the most, taking six victories between 1987 and 1993.

His first win there was behind the wheel of a Lotus. McLaren team-mate and fierce rival Alain Prost won the year after, but Senna would return to the top spot in 1989 and win the four consecutive Monaco GPs thereafter, before his untimely death in 1994.

The McLaren F1 team will race its two MCL38 cars in a special scheme for the 2024 Monaco GP. These too reference the colours of the Brazilian flag and feature Senna’s name and logos prominently.

“Senna remains revered and respected as Formula 1’s greatest icon and McLaren’s most decorated driver,” said Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing.

Michael Leiters, CEO of McLaren Automotive, added: “Ayrton Senna was born to race, and his passion for performance and perfection lives on at McLaren. 

“The McLaren Senna bears his name and embodies his spirit. It is the ultimate road-going McLaren for focused track performance, and this masterfully detailed inspiration captures Ayrton’s infectious energy.

“Our collaboration with McLaren Racing to honour the Senna racing legacy 30 years on is a shared celebration of Ayrton’s unique racing abilities, and the Monaco street circuit he made his own is the perfect place to reflect on his incredible achievements.”