Papaya stays: McLaren shows livery for 2024 Formula E season

Neom McLaren unveiled its livery for the 2024 Formula E season on Tuesday afternoon. Those dominant papaya-orange and black colours will remain, while the blue colour accent that was emblazoned on the car's side panels as recently as last year will disappear.

"As we prepare to go racing in our second season in Formula E, we are building on everything we learnt in Season 9. We are continually evolving as a team and this livery represents that", team principal Ian James commentedvia press release.

He is alluding to the fact that while the black and orange colour combination will remain, it will be broken up with black lines on the car instead of the third colour, blue, creating a cleaner look.

Black continues to be present as the base colour on the side panels and front wing, and a neutral background is retained for the placement of title sponsor NEOM. The shape of the orange accent also remains as usual in a v-shape that runs from the rear sidepods, across the cockpit to the nose of the car. This is complemented this season by a black line on the inside and spiral patterns on the side box and next to the halo bar. This also picks up the McLaren Racing signature orange once again.

Unlike Jaguar, who also unveiled their livery on Tuesday, both cars are identically styled. "I can’t wait to see the car with this new livery on track at all the iconic locations we will be visiting in Season 10," James continued. The car will continue to be piloted by Jake Hughes, who will thus experience his third livery on his 13th race weekend with McLaren in Formula E, as the team had used a special livery for the season finale in London. Sam Bird will be given race number 8, while Hughes will stick with his number 5.

His first outing in the new car will be with his new teammate in five days' time at the collaborative pre-season testing in Valencia.