One of motorsport's most legendary colour schemes to feature on McLaren's MCL35M in a one-off special as F1 returns to the streets of Monaco; Watch every session from the Monaco GP this coming week starting on Thursday live only on Sky Sports
Monday 17 May 2021 07:16, UK
McLaren will race in the retro blue and orange motorsport colours of Gulf Oil at this week's showpiece Monaco GP.
In a one-off change from its usual papaya colours for the return of F1's most famous event after a year's absence from the calendar, the MCL35M will be decked out in a reworked version of one of motorsport's most iconic and legendary liveries in the Principality.
The Gulf Oil company returned to the team as a strategic partner in July 2020, having first been associated with the Bruce McLaren-founded outfit in the 1960s.
The Gulf livery was famously raced by Ford and Porsche in sportscars, with the latter's 917 also the car that Steve McQueen drove in the 1971 film Le Mans. McLaren ran the iconic colours on the way to finishing second at Le Mans in 1997, but Monaco will be the first time the scheme has been used by anyone in F1.
McLaren's drivers Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo will wear the colours on their race suits, while they will also sport retro designs on their crash helmets which will be raffled for McLaren's mental health charity partner, Mind.
"This will be McLaren's homage to Gulf's celebrated race car design," said McLaren chief executive Zak Brown, whose team will also be kitted out in the special look.
"We're enormous fans of brave and bold design, and the striking Gulf blue is among the most loved liveries in racing, a celebrated piece of culture which transcends the world of motorsport.
"Design has always been important to McLaren - you see this in everything we do from our return to papaya to our stunning headquarters, the McLaren Technology Centre. We're excited to exhibit this as a team and celebrate our proud association with Gulf in Monaco."
The new-look car will be seen for the first time on track when opening practice - which always takes place a day earlier than normal in Monaco - begins at 10.30am on Thursday.
The whole weekend is live only on Sky Sports F1, with next Sunday's race starting at 2pm.
Wednesday
5pm: The F1 Show (simulcast for free on Sky F1 YouTube)
6pm: Drivers' Press Conference
Thursday
8.40am: F2 Practice
10am: Monaco GP Practice One (Session starts at 10.30am)
12.15pm: F2 Qualifying
1.45pm: Monaco GP Practice Two (Session starts at 2pm)
Friday
10.35am: F2 Sprint Race One
Saturday
7.10am: F2 Sprint Race Two
10.45am: Monaco GP Practice Three (Session starts at 11am)
1pm: Monaco GP Qualifying build-up
2pm: Monaco GP Qualifying
4.05pm: F2 Feature Race
5.30pm: Ted's Qualifying Notebook
Sunday
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday
2pm: THE MONACO GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag
5pm: Ted's Notebook
9.30pm: Monaco GP highlights
