Why Does McLaren F1 Team Use Orange Instead of Gray?

One of the well-established teams of Formula 1 McLarenin 2017papaya orangeIt confused some fans when they switched to an orange color called “”. After 7 years, many Formula 1 fans still cannot understand why the team made such a decision. Although some people attribute the reason for this situation to the sponsors, the truth is quite different.

Let’s talk about how McLaren, which keeps changing colors for various reasons, from efforts to stand out on black-and-white television to country flags, came to its current color, and how the car has changed over time. changing color like a chameleon Let’s see together. Fasten your seat belts, here we go.

In fact, the first McLarens were not orange either.

It is customary in Formula 1, in the first race, the cars Whichever country the team is from, in the colors of that country, He even races with his flag if possible. Since the founder of the team, Bruce McLaren, was also a New Zealander, the first cargreen on white It was striped (The country’s flag is not green and white, but its coat of arms is).

The following year, the team changed color and switched to a single color design. The color they chose was red. In a very short time, the team gave up on this decision because people thought red and Formula 1 When it was mentioned, another team came to mind, the team that came to your mind.

1968 In 2018, we saw orange coatings for the first time. Want to be easily differentiated from their competitors Bruce McLaren He wanted them to switch to this color. Although the color has become iconic, McLaren first switched to a white vehicle in 1971 – with the influence of its sponsor at the time – and then took its place on the tracks with a red and white car until 1997, with a few exceptions in between.

In 96, the colors of the vehicles changed once again.

In the years when the Schumacher-Hakkinen rivalry intensified McLaren, first turned the vehicle completely orange. the next year 1997‘also The team competing as McLaren Mercedes appeared on the tracks with a gray-black coating.

During this period, they won two championships in a row. Afterwards, the coating did not change much, but they made the gray more chromatic. Then the vehicle first became dark grey, and finally Back to orange color.

So why papaya orange?

The basis for choosing this color is three different reasons It is located. The first and most important of these is to ensure that the vehicles are noticed. The aim here was not just for people watching the races live to notice. Televisions were also black and white at that time. That’s why have a different tonemade it stand out among the gray.

The second purpose is that automobiles bigger than competitors was to make it appear. In Formula 1, when racing at high speed, the competitors are closer to the mirror, creating pressure on the vehicles in front. They also seem to be harder to pass when they are ahead.

The third reason is, of course, marketing. Can-Am series choosing papaya orange as a tribute McLarenEvery time he won a race, he increased his sales in the USA. That’s why McLaren chose papaya orange as its special tone.

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