The Senna Sempre livery will also be showcased on a pre-production McLaren Senna from the marque’s heritage collection.

Last week’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix saw drivers and engineers honouring the late Ayrton Senna 30 years after his death at the Imola Circuit during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.

Senna was a master of his craft and Monaco was very much his playground. The Brazilian driver still holds the record for most wins there with six - having won with McLaren in 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1993. He became known as the King of Monaco and laps like this demonstrated why.

McLaren will celebrate the legendary driver at this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix with a one-off livery on its MCL38 Formula 1 cars to be driven by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri adopting the colour of the Brazilian flag. A Senna Sempre livery - created as part of McLaren’s ongoing association with the Ayrton Senna Institute - will also be applied to a McLaren Senna pre-production from the marque’s heritage collection.

The McLaren Senna was revealed in December 2017 and is part of the McLaren Ultimate series along with the F1 and P1. It recognised Senna’s impact with the British team, winning three drivers’ championships and 35 races between 1988 and 1993. Referred to by the marque as “the most extreme McLaren road car ever made”, it was in production between 2018 and 19 with only 500 units hand-built at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking. It has a 0-62mph time of 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 211mph.

McLaren Special Operations (MSO), using a washing technique, has been able to blend the yellow, green and blue tones of the Senna Sempire livery together without mixing the colours. The green and white border lines around the glasshouse and venting at the base of the windscreen are inspired by the detailing on Senna’s race helmet design. MSO paint technicians have also created Senna’s face on either side of the car, as it would appear on and off track, using a dot matrix effect.

Inside is a bespoke yellow Alcantara upholstery, and the sills of the black Alcantara doors are printed with Senna’s signature and quote; “I have no idols. I admire work, dedication and competence.”

“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.”
Michael Leiters, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Automotive

“The team is proud to recognise and celebrate the extraordinary life and racing legacy of Ayrton Senna through this McLaren livery. Senna remains revered and respected as Formula 1’s greatest icon, and McLaren’s most decorated driver. His impact on McLaren is enormous, not only through his racing record but also presence within the team, and now his legacy, so it’s an honour to race for him at his most successful circuit in his green, yellow and blue colours.”
Zak Brown, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Racing

"It’s an honour to recognise Ayrton through these liveries in collaboration with both McLaren Racing and McLaren Automotive. It's a fantastic way to celebrate his life and legacy through his iconic colours on both cars. McLaren meant a lot to him, and together they achieved a lot of success, much of which he is still remembered for today by so many. It will be special to see it race the streets of Monaco, a circuit which gave him so much joy and many triumphs."
Bianca Senna, Senna Brands

The McLaren Senna with Senna Sempre livery will be on display in Monaco throughout the Grand Prix weekend. The race itself takes place on Sunday 26th May.

words: Mike Booth
pictures: McLaren