You can’t help but notice that this is a cheeky jab from McLaren to Red Bull.

Red Bull recently scrapped their plans for a fan-designed livery at the Singapore and US Grand Prix, citing concerns about the added weight.

But McLaren has swooped in to unveil their own one-off paint job for this weekend’s race, with a design that harks back to their iconic red and white Marlboro-liveried glory days of the 70s and 80s.

Unlike Red Bull’s cancelled designs, McLaren’s new look is more of a colour swap than an addition of weight.

The refreshed look is part of McLaren’s ongoing “Legend’s Reborn” campaign, which kicked off earlier this year in Monaco with a green-and-yellow Senna-inspired livery. This time, McLaren pays homage to its historic rise to F1 dominance, plastering the names of 13 legendary drivers, including the late Ayrton Senna, around the cockpit area of the car.

For F1 fans, it’s a nod to McLaren's early days, from Emerson Fittipaldi’s championship-winning M23 in 1974 to Mika Hakkinen’s reign in the ‘90s. That era’s red and white livery reached its zenith with the MP4 series, but after a brief stint in black, McLaren reintroduced papaya orange in 2017.

Now, while the design may feel like a tribute to the past, there’s a modern twist in the form of McLaren’s partnership with OKX, a cryptocurrency exchange. McLaren’s Chief Marketing Officer, Louise McEwen, added, "Following this year’s Senna campaign, this livery further embodies our partnership with OKX as we continue to deliver unique storytelling campaigns for McLaren fans and OKX customers globally."

It’s hard not to notice the irony here; where once tobacco sponsorship dominated F1's liveries, today it’s cryptocurrency exchanges stepping into the spotlight.

McLaren’s MCL38, now decked out in its striking white and orange, will have to do more than just look good this weekend. With Lando Norris trailing championship leader Max Verstappen by 59 points, the British driver has a mountain to climb if he hopes to make a dent in that gap.

Fortunately, the high-downforce, high-temperature conditions of the Marina Bay street circuit are expected to play to McLaren’s strengths.

Photo Credits: Formula 1 Content Pool