McLaren ditches papaya with striking livery for the British Grand Prix

While 'Papaya Rules' was a big talking point of the 2025 season, McLaren have gone for a white design at Silverstone this week, paying tribute to the McLaren M2B, the team's first Formula One car. The design draws directly from the M2B, which made its debut at the 1966 Monaco Grand Prix - the same year that founder Bruce McLaren scored the team's first point.

The team marked their 1,000 Grand Prix milestone earlier this season in Monaco, where McLaren legend Mika Hakkinen drove the M2B. The design was created in partnership with Google Gemini as part of the 'Spark What's Next' campaign. For McLaren, the British Grand Prix is traditionally one of the most important races of the season as its home race and the historical connection to the circuit.

The British Grand Prix comes amid speculation linking Max Verstappen with a future move to McLaren.

According to Sky Sports News, Verstappen's camp has held a meeting with McLaren, with the broadcaster understanding that the discussions were initiated by Verstappen's representatives rather than the Woking-based outfit. Verstappen is contracted with Red Bull until 2028 but a clause in his contract allows him to leave at the end of this season if he is not second in the championship by the summer break.

McLaren currently has Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri under contract, with both drivers playing a key role in the team's recent success. Speaking to Sky Sports at the weekend, McLaren CEO Zak Brown reiterated his confidence in the current line-up but stopped short of ruling out Verstappen completely.

Brown said he would be surprised if either Norris or Piastri left the team, although he acknowledged that Verstappen's status as a four-time world champion means he would inevitably be considered should an unexpected opportunity arise.