McLaren F1 car launch 2024: How it happened as MCL38 revealed

Unveiling their 2024 livery in January, McLaren have finally pulled the wraps off the full car today (Wednesday, February 14).

The 2023 season was a tale of two halves for the team in Papaya. They started sluggishly, a far cry from the podium contenders they dreamed of being.

But then, a mid-season development surge transformed the car into a serious challenger, propelling Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to a string of thrilling podium finishes.

READ MORE: Mercedes F1 car launch 2024: When is it and how to watch live

By season's end, McLaren sat comfortably in fourth place in the constructors' championship with 302 points. This late-season resurgence ignited a fire within the team, planting the seeds for a new era they labelled "Whatever It Takes."

Adding fuel to this fire is the exciting news of Norris extending his contract beyond the 2026 season. This long-term commitment signifies McLaren's belief in both Norris and Piastri, forming a formidable young gun duo with the potential to challenge for the championship throne currently occupied by Red Bull.

But the question is, are they the team which will challenge Red Bull in 2024? Only time will tell.

McLaren's 2024 challenger: the MCL38

McLaren were the first team to offer a glimpse into their 2024 challenger's identity with a January livery reveal.

Then today, on February 14, they officially unveiled the full car on their social media platforms at 8:38am UK time, followed by promotional filming with the drivers at Silverstone Circuit.

While fans missed the thrill of a live stream, the new machine is now out in the open, ready to turn heads.

Following the car launch, McLaren CEO Zak Brown said:

"It’s awesome to be able to launch our 2024 competitor, the MCL38, at Silverstone today. It’s great to see our new car in its 2024 livery on track and see the hard work and dedication of the team come together.

"The fantastic thing about this sport is how competitive it is, and therefore we must remain realistic as every team will have made progress in the off season. The true test of whether we’ve made steps in the right direction will be qualifying in Bahrain. We’re all excited to go racing again, but we know there’s a long season ahead of us and a lot of work still to do to ensure we build on the progress we made throughout 2023."

OUR 2024 CHALLENGER. 🤩 Presenting the #MCL38! 🧡 pic.twitter.com/92bFXbLSmb

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) February 14, 2024

READ MORE: F1 2024 car launches: Dates, times and how to watch live

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