Team's 2018 slogan explained as MCL33 livery teases continue
Friday 2 February 2018 11:58, UK
McLaren are vowing to "be brave" in their pursuit of a front-running return in F1 2018, as the team continue to tease a possible tweak to their orange livery.
With the unveiling date for the team's new 2018 car, the Renault-powered MCL33, now just three weeks away on February 23, the Woking team have been using the slogan #BeBrave in their social media publicity for the launch.
Their latest video featured a car raced by founder Bruce McLaren from the late 1960s, in the papaya colours that became synonymous with the team in that era. McLaren's 2017 car broke with two decades of tradition by returning to orange colours, but some fans were left disappointed it was not the darker shade used in the team's early years.
McLaren have also explained the thinking behind the 'be brave' message.
"What do we mean by brave? We think of it as risk-taking; of letting the heart sometimes rule the head; of jumping without the certainty of where, exactly, you'll land," said the team on their website.
"It's the racer's mentality: commit first, and correct the mistakes later…"
The article cited past examples of 'brave' team decisions, including the explosive driver pairings of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost in the 1980s and then Fernando Alonso and a rookie Lewis Hamilton in 2007.
"Even in 2018, our decision to forge a new partnership with Renault was a brave one; a risk, even," the team added.
"It was built on the fundamental belief that we exist to go racing, and that we're at our best when we're at our bravest. So let's commit, let's go racing, and let's be brave."
McLaren executive Zak Brown, who gave the green light to the break from grey/silver liveries for last year, told Sky F1 before Christmas that the team would have a revised look for 2018.
"I think they [the fans] are going to like what our car looks like," he predicted. "We'll have some new partners on board.
"The car won't look like it did [in 2017]."
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