McLaren is set to make a significant impact at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed, taking place from July 11 to 14.
The event will celebrate Ayrton Senna's legacy and showcase McLaren’s illustrious history in motorsport alongside its latest innovations in automotive engineering.
McLaren Senna
The centrepiece of McLaren’s display will be the track-focused McLaren Senna hypercar with the unique Senna Sempre livery.
This vehicle is a tribute to Ayrton Senna, the legendary Brazilian driver who won three Formula One World Championships with McLaren before his tragic death in 1994.
The storied vehicle, which is part of McLaren’s heritage collection, was unveiled at the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix and will now be presented to the public at McLaren House during the festival.
Hand-painted by McLaren Special Operations (MSO), the Senna Sempre livery is a vibrant and colourful homage to Senna’s dynamic personality and pursuit of racing perfection.
The livery incorporates newly developed paint techniques and exquisite artworks depicting Senna, alongside references to his three World Championship titles and five Monaco Grand Prix victories with McLaren.
MCL38 F1 Car
In addition to the McLaren Senna, the MCL38 Formula One car, which also features a unique livery in honour of Senna, will be on display.
This car was raced by McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix. The combination of these two vehicles offers fans a rare opportunity to see these iconic tributes together.
The Goodwood Festival of Speed will also see appearances from several McLaren legends. Ayrton’s nephew, Bruno Senna, will drive his uncle’s 1991 title-winning McLaren MP4/6 up the famous Goodwood hillclimb.
This F1 car, notable for being the last championship-winning chassis with a manual gearbox, was driven by Ayrton Senna to seven Grand Prix victories.
Joining Bruno Senna will be Mika Häkkinen, double McLaren F1 World Champion, who will drive the Solus GT in a demonstration run.
The Solus GT, painted to match Häkkinen’s 1998 championship-winning McLaren MP4/13, showcases McLaren’s eye for historical accuracy. The bespoke paint job even replicates the ageing process of the original F1 car’s livery.
Celebrating McLaren’s heritage
The festival also marks the 50th anniversary of McLaren’s first Formula One World Championship victories in 1974.
Emerson Fittipaldi, who drove the McLaren M23 to victory that year, will return to the wheel of his championship-winning car.
Additionally, the 1974 Indy 500-winning M16C/D, which helped Johnny Rutherford secure the first leg of the prestigious 'Triple Crown of Motorsport' for McLaren, will be on display in the McLaren garage.
“This year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed will see McLaren deliver another milestone event that will delight our fans and bring to life our immense racing heritage, through not only the cars that have delivered race wins and championships, but the drivers that took them there,” said Michael Leiters, Chief Executive Officer of McLaren Automotive.
“These iconic cars, and incredible drivers, continue to inspire us and drive us to deliver supercars that push the boundaries of performance on road and track.”
