Arrow McLaren Unveils Special Livery, All the Meaning Behind the Action

The announcement of this series was made public on Tuesday and was followed by an open event for fans and media at the Lifestyle Expo, which took place during the Grand Prix of Long Beach on Friday. The Triple Crown, considered the most significant accomplishment in motorsport, involves winning the Monaco Grand Prix, Indy 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. McLaren earned their Triple Crown accolade by emerging victorious at the Indy 500 in 1974 with Johnny Rutherford, the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix with Alain Prost, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995 with JJ Lehto, Yannick Dalmas, and Masanori Sekiya.

“We are proud to have achieved motorsport’s prestigious Triple Crown as a constructor. In our 60th year, we are shining a light on the legacy of the team that Bruce McLaren built and role this plays in fueling our ambitions for the future of the team," said McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown. “As a life-long McLaren fan, I fondly remember watching Alain Prost’s dramatic 1984 Monaco victory and the incredible moment when the team conquered Le Mans on its debut entry. Meanwhile Johnny Rutherford’s first Indy 500 win in papaya is one of the most important moments in McLaren Racing history. I can’t wait to see our four-car, star-studded lineup flying the colors of our Triple Crown victories at this year’s Indy 500.”

With the support of Arrow Electronics, NTT DATA, and SmartStop, Arrow McLaren will showcase four Chevrolets, each featuring a distinctive commemorative livery for the 107th Running of the Indy 500 in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Three of these Chevrolets will represent individual race wins from McLaren's Triple Crown, and the fourth will recognize their collective achievement. This livery series marks a significant part of McLaren's 60th-anniversary celebrations in 2023, paying tribute to the team's remarkable history, honoring some of their most notable accomplishments, and acknowledging the legacy of team founder Bruce McLaren.

As a tribute to McLaren's first win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the F1 GTR, Pato O'Ward will race the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet with an all-black livery during the April 20-21 IMS Open Test, Indy 500 practice rounds, qualifying, and the race itself at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Meanwhile, the No. 6 NTT DATA Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, driven by Felix Rosenqvist, will don an iconic MP4/2 livery with which Alain Prost famously won the Monaco Grand Prix marking McLaren's inaugural victory at the event.

Alexander Rossi's No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet will sport a full papaya livery to honor Johnny Rutherford's triumph in the M16C/D during the team's inaugural Indy 500 win in 1974. Meanwhile, Tony Kanaan recently announced that this year's Indy 500 would be his final appearance in the race, and his No. 66 SmartStop Arrow McLaren Chevrolet will feature a special Triple Crown-inspired livery, which will be unveiled ahead of the April Open Test.

"This ride is sick. With this color and a bunch of sparkle, it is special. My favorite part on the car is the vintage No. 5 - it looks old school and fast. The car looks lethal," said Alexander Rossi. “I can’t explain what it’s like being on the grid at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway before the Indy 500. This race is a goal to just reach it, but another much larger goal to have the chance to win it. We have had a sixth, fourth and second, so there’s only one more spot to go.”

As the month of May approaches, McLaren will reveal more festivities across its other racing series to celebrate the Triple Crown's prestigious accomplishment. Fans can join the festivities by purchasing limited-edition Triple Crown merchandise, including bespoke Triple Crown style caps, jerseys, and hoodies from the McLaren Store in May.

Select items are available for purchase onsite in Long Beach and at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway throughout the Indy 500 race week. McLaren has collaborated with popular brands Mitchell & Ness, New Era, and Castore to create this exceptional range.

It is not the first time McLaren released a special livery for the IndyCar team or any team from their motorsport group. In the last couple of years, they tried different paint jobs to celebrate and remember the past. For the 2021 Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, McLaren went with the baby blue Gulf livery. Combined with the orange from the British team, the overall paint job was fantastic and beautiful. At the same time, in the previous year, the Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team released a unique livery for the Indianapolis race, but nothing too crazy or with historical connotations..

For the moment, the British team is doing quite well in the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES, with their leading driver Pato O'Ward sitting in first place in the drivers' championship. Meanwhile, Alexander Rossi is completing the top ten, having a top-five finish, while Felix Rosenqvist did not have the best start of the year, being all the way down in P25, despite taking the pole in one event.

Without a doubt, the British team will do more anniversary actions in 2023, from all types of events like celebrating Bruce McLaren and everyone who had a significant influence on the team to special paint jobs on their race cars. Without a doubt, Formula 1 will receive the same treatment. Hopefully, more teams will adopt this solution.