F1 fans are in awe of McLaren’s ‘gorgeous’ new livery for 2026 pre-season testing

Follow us on Google Discover

The 2026 Formula 1 season is officially underway, with seven of the 11 teams participating in the first day of pre-season testing in Barcelona.

Mercedes were the first out on track, beating Audi, and have already made a statement, running reliably and strongly throughout the first morning.

Those not participating include Williams, who will miss the entire test, McLaren, Ferrari, and Aston Martin. The current constructors’ championship holders have opted for an extra day of preparation.

It also gives them the opportunity to scout whatever the opposition is up to, with the 2026 F1 regulations bound to kick up some surprises.

What impact will Williams missing the Barcelona shakedown test have on their 2026 season?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

McLaren have taken pressure off Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri by running later on in the week, as it gives them an opportunity to see where their opposition sits.

Gary Anderson thinks McLaren will have a development ‘delay’ after failing to complete a proper shakedown in their car before heading to Spain. It could have lasting effects.

READ MORE: Ex-McLaren man explained why Lando Norris may have more internal ‘supporters’ than Oscar Piastri

F1 fans are in love with McLaren’s ‘gorgeous’ testing livery for the 2026 season

Rain could scupper McLaren in Barcelona with a wet forecast for the week, bound to interrupt multiple days.

Time will tell if the risk to sit on the sidelines during the first day was a good move, but it hangs in the balance currently.

The Woking-based outfit have just released a new black livery exclusively for pre-season testing. Fans on Reddit already love the design.

“Finally, a livery Ron Dennis would approve,” said one individual.

“I don’t know if that’s just a render or the final aero, but that looks fast as hell,” added someone else, who approves of the design.

“I can’t find a reason to hate it, it’s proper nice,” commented another fan.

While another pointed out that testing brings out the best in some design departments: “Why is the testing livery always better than the real one? Same stuff last year.”

The appreciation didn’t stop there, as this person added, “Love it, which means I’m going to hate the regular season livery.”

And finally, the last comment is a reflection of most fans’ feelings. It’s easy to resonate with someone who would love to own such a piece of art: “Drop dead gorgeous. I would take it home if it wasn’t for my poverty.”

READ MORE: Lando Norris just showed his real feelings about Oscar Piastri with a pointed Lewis Hamilton remark

How did the first morning of 2026 F1 pre-season testing go?

Mercedes lapped impressively during the first morning of testing in 2026, racking up 24 laps in the first 90 minutes alone.

The next nearest had just 14 circulations, which shows that reports of the strength of the Silver Arrows may have been true.

There were also reports of two red flags, caused by cars stopping on the track, and not down to any crashes or spins.

But there’s still plenty of action left to unfold this week, and teams have a lot of work ahead of them to prepare for the season-opener in Melbourne.