McLaren announce name for 2023 F1 car – and it’s not what you would expect

Ahead of the launch of their brand-new Formula 1 car, McLaren have announced an unexpected twist to their naming convention...

Since 2017, McLaren have used ‘MCL’ as their system for naming cars – eschewing the previous ‘MP4’ convention that began in 1981. 2017 saw the MCL32 launched, before 2018 gave us the MCL33 and so on until last year's MCL36.

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However, the 2023 McLaren F1 car – which is due to be launched on February 13 – will be called the MCL60.

The storied marque have chosen MCL60 to mark 60 years since Bruce McLaren founded their racing team. Since then, McLaren have won eight constructors' championships and 12 drivers' titles.

The new name will be followed by a new driver line-up too, with rookie Oscar Piastri joining incumbent driver Lando Norris at the papaya-coloured squad, following Daniel Ricciardo’s departure at the end of last year.

READ MORE: McLaren rookie Piastri ramps up 2023 prep as he hits the track in Barcelona