Ahead of the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix, McLaren unveiled a special “Triple Crown” design for their Formula 1 car, commemorating the team’s victories in the Indianapolis 500, the Monaco Grand Prix, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
McLaren F1 unveils a ‘Triple Crown’ themed design for the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix
The F1 team will pay tribute to their Triple Crown with a special design in Monaco
Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images
Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
Considered the “Triple Crown” of motorsport, only one driver, and one team, has achieved victory in all three events. Graham Hill was the first — and remains the only — driver to win all three, doing so with victory at the 1972 24 Hour of Le Mans, following five wins at Monaco and one Indy 500 triumph.
McLaren accomplished the feat as a team, starting in 1974 as Johnny Rutherford won the Indianapolis 500. McLaren notched their first Monaco victory in 1984 with Alain Prost, and the team secured victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995 with JJ Lehto, Yannick Dalmas and Masanori Sekiya.
The much-anticipated announcement came on social media, as the team unveiled a design that pays tribute to all three victories:
The black at the front of the MCL60 honors the McLaren F1 GTR that won Le Mans in 1994. The white midsection signifies the Marlboro-sponsored MP4/2 that won the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix. The orange at the rear not only pays tribute to the team’s original orange theme, but honors the car that won in Indianapolis.
The team shared the vision as well on Twitter Tuesday:
“Having achieved the greatest accomplishment in motorsport by completing the Triple Crown, we are proud to celebrate the rich history of McLaren Racing with a special livery at the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix,” said McLaren CEO Zak Brown. “In line with our 60th anniversary celebrations and honouring the legacy of Bruce McLaren, the unique livery pays homage to the three victories which form the Triple Crown accolade.”
The team’s drivers are honored to be part of the tribute.
“It’s a privilege to be involved in McLaren Racing’s 60th anniversary celebrations and to combine three iconic race winning McLaren liveries into one for the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix is going to be a special moment for the whole team,” said Lando Norris. “McLaren have an impressive record in Monte Carlo and on a personal level to have experienced a podium at the 2021 race was a huge honour. We’ll be racing hard in a great looking car to celebrate Bruce McLaren and the team’s amazing legacy.”
“The Triple Crown livery looks incredible, and I can’t imagine a better way to experience my first Monaco Grand Prix as a Formula 1 Driver with McLaren Racing,” added Oscar Piastri. “Bruce McLaren was a winner in Monte Carlo in 1962 and the McLaren team have such rich history at the Monaco Grand Prix. I will feel incredibly proud lining up on the grid in the MCL60, carrying the same colours as the three Triple Crown winning race cars.”
As far as the individual Triple Crown, Hill remains the only driver to have accomplished the feat, although two drivers are just one victory short. Juan Pablo Montoya is one of the drivers, with wins in Indianapolis and Monaco.
The other? Fernando Alonso. Alonso has wins in both Monaco and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Alonso just needs an Indianapolis 500 victory to round out the individual Triple Crown. During the 2017 season, Alonso skipped the Monaco Grand Prix to try and accomplish the feat in Indianapolis 500.
Alonso started fifth, and even led 27 laps, but a failed engine ended his chance at the Triple Crown.
“If we put aside the last 20 laps, which were a massive disappointment,” said Brown after the race, “if we reflect back on the past month, it was outstanding. Fernando didn’t put a wheel wrong. [He] showed what a world class world champion he is today.”
Since then, Alonso has tried twice more to win in Indianapolis, with his best finish a P21 in 2020. However, it is unclear if Alonso will take another run at the Triple Crown. Speaking ahead of the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the veteran driver outlined how he was unsure if another attempt at Indianapolis was in the cards. “But I don’t know if I will do it again or not. And if I don’t do it again, it’s not because someone else said that I will not be able to win it,” said Alonso. “You know, if I don’t do it again, it’s because I don’t feel the motivation to do it.”
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