McLaren reveals 2026 IndyCar liveries – in crucial year for team and series

The McLaren IndyCar team has unveiled its 2026 set of liveries and new American headquarters, as it looks to build on its best ever season last year.

The US arm of the Papaya squad’s racing activities saw Pato O’Ward (car No5) win two races and finish runner-up in the championship standings, while 2025 signing Christian Lundgaard helped consolidate that standout campaign with a fifth-place finish. McLaren scored a team-record 12 podiums last season.

Nolan Siegel had another learning year in his first full season with the three-car team, but McLaren’s going to need all the help it can get from the drivers as it seeks to challenge the dominance of Alex Palou and Ganassi, who secured the 2025 championship with two races to spare.

Named the McLaren Racing Centre, the team’s new facility has been bought from Andretti, with its IndyCar squad moving on to different premises.

Originally built in 1997 for what was then called Team Green (later becoming Andretti), McLaren embarked upon a large-scale renovation and expansion of the factory from 30,000sq ft to 86,000sq ft after purchasing it midway through last year.

The Andretti IndyCar outfit was initially intended to be housed alongside what is now the Cadillac grand prix concern (with both owned by TWG Motorsports) at a purpose-built facility in Fishers, Indiana. However, the F1 cost cap rules meant the Andretti IndyCar team had to change plans and move into what was the formerly the Indianapolis Star newspaper’s headquarters and printing press, converting it into a base for both its US single-seater and Formula E activities.

“We’re very excited to be operating out of the McLaren Racing Centre with the space, technology and infrastructure we need all under one roof,” said McLaren IndyCar boss Tony Kanaan.

“Our focus hasn’t changed: continued growth, winning the Indy 500 and fighting for the championship remain the standard as we move forward in our new home. We set the bar high in 2025, and we are only looking higher this season. We’ve got the team in place to keep fighting.”