Bold statement: fans aren’t just spectators—they are the heartbeat of every moment a team creates. VELO and the McLaren Formula 1® Team have turned that truth into a vivid, fan-driven livery for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, drawing on memories that run deep and personal. The result is more than paint on a car; it’s a living gallery of moments that fans have lived and shared around the world.
In a collaborative effort that centers on fans, nine McLaren superfans—from the UK, Romania, the Czech Republic, Mexico, and beyond—helped shape the final design. Their nostalgia for the McLaren MCL39 became the wellspring for an artwork that translates personal stories into racing history, all under the banner of the Live Your Fandom campaign. The livery is part of a broader Race Takeover that unfolds with the McLaren Formula 1® Team across the Abu Dhabi weekend.
This design speaks to fans, by fans. It’s evident in every element—from driver suits to paddock screens and garage walls—where the artwork will appear across the team’s space during the season finale. Earlier in August, the Live Your Fandom experience granted nine superfans a golden-ticket day at the McLaren Technology Centre (MTC). There, they shared cherished McLaren memories directly with McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown and enjoyed a surprise Q&A with McLaren Formula 1® Team Driver, Lando Norris.
The superfans didn’t just observe; they created. Their co-created artwork for the 2025 Abu Dhabi livery distills their defining McLaren moments into symbols and visuals that carry emotional weight as well as design significance. During a private workshop at the MTC, these fans poured passion into sketches and motifs that would ultimately shape the season’s finale livery. Their contributions were unveiled in an exclusive preview back at the MTC with Zak Brown and Lando Norris.
The livery features a curated set of bespoke icons, each representing a cherished memory or a symbol of the McLaren Formula 1® Team’s enduring legacy and community spirit. Key icons include:
- Papaya Family: A nod to the global community of McLaren fans who rally behind the team with collective pride and support.
- Forever Forward Friendship Bracelet: Inspired by a fan-made bracelet, this symbol embodies the team’s motto and how fandom forges lifelong friendships.
- Home Wins: Celebrating victories at the home track of the team, notably the British Grand Prix at Silverstone and the Bahrain Grand Prix, which fans regard as a second home.
- Back-to-Back Constructors’ Champions: A trophy motif capturing the era of dominance and fans’ pride in the team’s history and heritage.
- 200 Race Wins: A milestone represented by a trophy, recalling the moment of achieving 200 race wins at the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix—the goosebumps moment fans remember vividly.
- 1-2: A symbol commemorating the team’s 50th 1-2 finish at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix, a landmark moment for both the team and its supporters.
- Fastest Pitstop: A tribute to the team’s record 1.91-second pitstop, the fastest of the 2025 Formula 1 season (as of the Las Vegas Grand Prix), celebrated as a testament to precision and teamwork.
Luca Angiolillo, Global Head of Partnerships at BAT, remarked: “VELO champions authentic self-expression, and co-creating the MCL39’s design with the global fanbase is a powerful embodiment of that mission. This artwork demonstrates how deeply fans are woven into the team’s journey, perfectly mirroring our Live Your Fandom campaign. VELO is excited to celebrate these experiences that invite fans to embrace their own unique fandom within a vibrant community, and we’re eager to showcase the fan-driven takeover at the season finale.”
McLaren Racing’s Chief Marketing Officer, Louise McEwen, added: “Fans sit at the core of everything we do, and this special livery is another way to express gratitude. Through the Live Your Fandom collaboration with VELO, we’ve celebrated their passion and creativity in a way that truly unites the Papaya Family.”
For more details about the VELO x McLaren Formula 1® Team Live Your Fandom campaign and the fan-inspired livery, explore VELO’s Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/velo.global/ and McLaren Racing’s website at https://www.mclaren.com/racing/.
+18 Only. This product contains nicotine and is addictive.
