To commemorate the 30-year anniversary of Ayrton Senna’s remarkable impact, McLaren has created a poignant and impactful tribute that reflects his dynamic character and approach to life. This tribute honors his three Formula 1 World Championship titles and five triumphs at the Monaco Grand Prix while driving with McLaren.
In addition to the special MCL38 livery for the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix, McLaren Automotive also pays tribute to Ayrton Senna’s skills and racing accomplishments with the Senna Sempre livery. This one-of-a-kind design is hand-painted onto a pre-production McLaren Senna from the company’s own heritage collection, showcasing their admiration for the legendary driver.
The Senna Sempre livery is a testament to McLaren’s long-standing partnership with the Ayrton Senna Institute. It features the impeccable paintwork and expertise of McLaren Special Operations (MSO), highlighting nods to Ayrton Senna’s Formula 1 legacy, his relentless pursuit of excellence, Brazilian heritage, and McLaren’s racing heritage – including iconic moments on the streets of Monaco. The vibrant and daring paint hues, along with custom interior details, add a unique touch to this special livery.
Ayrton Senna’s love for racing was undeniable, and his dedication to perfection continues to thrive at McLaren. The McLaren Senna is a testament to his legacy and captures his unwavering determination – it is the ultimate road-going McLaren designed for exceptional track performance. This intricately crafted tribute reflects Ayrton’s contagious spirit, and our partnership with McLaren Racing in commemorating his 30-year racing legacy is a joint tribute to his incomparable driving skills. As we remember him at the Monaco street circuit where he shined, we honor Ayrton’s remarkable accomplishments.
Michael Leiters, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Automotive
“The team is proud to recognise and celebrate the extraordinary life and racing legacy of Ayrton Senna through this McLaren livery. Senna remains revered and respected as Formula 1’s greatest icon, and McLaren’s most decorated driver. His impact on McLaren is enormous, not only through his racing record but also presence within the team, and now his legacy, so it’s an honour to race for him at his most successful circuit in his green, yellow and blue colours.”
Zak Brown, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Racing
Unveiled in December of 2017, the McLaren Senna is undeniably the most extreme road car to ever come from the brand. With a focus on track capabilities, it was designed, engineered, and developed to offer unparalleled performance without any sacrifices.
McLaren utilized a pre-production McLaren Senna from its own heritage collection to create the visually striking Senna Sempre. This particular car was not only used for validating the impressive performance and driving experience of the production models, but it was also extensively documented for the original launch campaign. It was featured in the global media test drive at the Estoril Grand Prix circuit in June 2018, and has since been retained by McLaren as a pre-production vehicle. The Senna Sempre has made appearances in prominent media performance tests and played a role in significant events such as the royal opening of the McLaren Composites Technology Centre (MCTC) attended by members of the British royal family and HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince of Bahrain.
The McLaren Senna draws inspiration from Ayrton Senna’s legacy and beliefs, with both his name and the iconic Double S logo proudly displayed alongside the McLaren badge. This emblem is also intricately incorporated into the paintwork, serving as one of numerous visual tributes to the legendary driver. The design details on the bespoke MCL38 Formula 1 car are also aligned with those of the Senna, including the Double S logo on the blue panel connecting the vents within the front clamshell and the Senna script on the vibrant green rear wing.
The Senna Sempre livery features paints chosen to mirror the vibrant hues of the Brazilian flag. Utilizing a newly crafted wash technique by MSO, the bright yellow, green, and blue tones merge seamlessly without producing any unintended colors. This also conveys a sense of velocity and motion, reminiscent of a fluttering flag. The same technique is applied to the McLaren emblem on the car’s nose.
The car’s glasshouse features green and white border lines, reminiscent of the iconic race helmet design worn by Ayrton Senna. These lines are also reflected in the venting at the base of the windscreen.
MSO’s skilled paint technicians have crafted two unique depictions of Ayrton Senna on the side panels covering the car’s air intakes. Through precise manual application, the dot matrix design skillfully brings him to life in both his racing and personal moments when viewed from a distance.
In contrast to the vibrant glossy paint options, both the exterior and interior of the car showcase sleek visual carbon fibre panels with a satin finish. The bespoke yellow Alcantara upholstery with green perforations and a white 12 o’clock marker on the steering wheel are perfectly complemented by this choice. Additionally, Ayrton Senna’s signature and famous quote on work, dedication, and competence adorn the black Alcantara upholstered door sills.
Ayrton Senna’s legacy at the Monaco Grand Prix is unmatched. He achieved an impressive six victories at this prestigious race, making him synonymous with Formula 1. His remarkable performances on the iconic street circuit are commemorated by watermarks of the race numbers of his five winning cars during his consecutive triumphs with McLaren from 1989 to 1993.
In honor of the late Ayrton Senna, who achieved three World Championships as a part of the McLaren Formula 1 Team, McLaren has unveiled a unique livery for their MCL38 race car. This vibrant design features the iconic yellow, green, and blue colors from Senna’s helmet, showcased in the striking Senna Sempre artwork. This one-of-a-kind livery will replace the usual design for the team’s cars during their race in Monaco.
The one-of-a-kind McLaren Senna featuring the iconic Senna Sempre livery will be showcased in Monaco during the extended Grand Prix weekend.
