McLaren fire up new F1 car for the first time ahead of Silverstone shakedown

McLaren have fired up their new F1 challenger for the first time as preparations gather pace ahead of the 2024 season.

A couple of weeks on from revealing the livery for their MCL38, McLaren took to social media on Tuesday to share an audio clip of the car being brought to life (see the post below) with the caption “taking our first breath”.

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McLaren’s latest design is set to break cover on February 14 during a shakedown at Silverstone, before heading to Bahrain for pre-season testing, which begins on February 21.

Like the rest of the F1 grid, the Woking operation will run an unchanged driver line-up of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in 2024, with Team Principal Andrea Stella embarking on his second season in charge.

A couple of key signings for the campaign ahead are ex-Red Bull engineering chief Rob Marshall and former Ferrari aerodynamic specialist David Sanchez – both starting work in early January.

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McLaren are aiming to improve on the fourth position they achieved in the 2023 constructors’ standings, with the newly re-signed Norris hoping the squad will be in a position to fight for race wins this time out.