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McLaren Racing has unveiled the liveries for their 2026 F1 Academy entries, signaling a significant expansion of the team's commitment to developing female talent in motorsport. The Woking-based outfit, the reigning Formula 1 Constructors' Champion, will field two cars in the all-female series operated by Rodin Motorsport, representing a strategic doubling down on pathways for women drivers progressing toward the pinnacle of racing.
The decision reflects McLaren's broader philosophy under Chief Business Affairs Officer Alessandro Alunni Bravi, whose Driver Development Programme aims to cultivate professional racers for Formula 1, IndyCar, and the team's forthcoming World Endurance Championship campaign.
Ella Lloyd continues her F1 Academy journey with renewed confidence following an impressive rookie season that earned her the 2025 Rookie of the Year honour. The 20-year-old will race the #20 entry, which deliberately echoes the design language of McLaren's iconic MCL40 Formula 1 contender, maintaining the team's signature papaya colouring alongside anthracite accents.
"I'm really excited to start my second season in F1 Academy with McLaren," Lloyd stated. "The livery looks fantastic, and it's always a privilege to race in a papaya car." Having absorbed the technical lessons and physical demands of single-seater competition, Lloyd enters the campaign with legitimate title aspirations, leveraging her experience and continued integration within the McLaren ecosystem.
Ella Stevens embarks on her inaugural F1 Academy campaign driving the #28 McLaren Oxagon entry, which features a distinctive design incorporating the vivid blue branding of Oxagon—the advanced industries hub within Saudi Arabia's NEOM project and naming partner of her vehicle.
"It's an honour to be the F1 Academy McLaren Oxagon entry for the team. The vivid blue on the car alongside the iconic papaya looks really cool." Stevens' elevation to single-seaters comes after establishing herself as an exciting prospect, with the McLaren Driver Development Programme positioned to accelerate her progression.
The 2026 campaign reflects McLaren's deliberate commitment to advancing female representation in motorsport. Beyond the team's drivers, primary sponsors including Mastercard, NEOM, Ecolab, DP World, Schneider Electric, and More than Equal collectively underscore a shared ambition to champion opportunity and progress across the sport. Notably, these partnerships extend to both vehicles, emphasizing institutional commitment rather than peripheral support.
The new liveries will make their competitive debut at the Pre-Season Test in China before the championship commences in Shanghai on 13-15 March, with races spanning seven F1 weekends across Shanghai, Jeddah, Montreal, Silverstone, Zandvoort, Austin, and Las Vegas. Lloyd and Stevens now prepare to translate this visual identity into podium finishes, representing McLaren's investment in the next generation of female motorsport talent.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.