8 June 2026 13:00 (UTC)
Bringing back a legend, a family reunion, and a message from Sir David Beckham: Behind the scenes in Monte Carlo
Allow us to take you behind the scenes of the Monaco Grand Prix and deep into the paddock, with our regular post-race wrap-up. Covering all the action you might have missed, we'll explore everything from the outfits that caught our attention to the strongest snaps and the standout quotes.
Monaco was packed with standout moments as we celebrated our 1000th Grand Prix. From a special outing for our very first Formula 1 car and a gathering of McLaren legends on the grid, to a one-off livery inspired by six decades of McLaren heritage, we marked the milestone in style.
On track, it was a weekend of two halves, with Oscar finishing fourth and Lando unfortunately retiring. While we were disappointed not to come away with more, the lead-up to our 1000th Grand Prix centred on appreciating both the highs and lows of our sport, and how the tougher moments have driven us to greater success.
That’s a mindset we’ll carry into this coming weekend’s race in Spain, where we’ll look to bounce back. Until then, here are the moments from Monaco that caught our eye.
Over 60 years and 1,000 races, the Papaya Family has grown significantly - and this weekend we truly felt it. Your support for the milestone filled our inboxes and social feeds - messages from fans new and old, and posts from all corners of the world, including a few names that made us look twice.
"I just want to say a huge congratulations on reaching this incredible milestone. A thousand Grands Prix is truly impressive," said Sir David Beckham. "You should all be so proud to have got here, and the new livery is looking amazing."
There was plenty of love for Lewis Hamilton's first Formula 1 World Championship in 2008, with AJ Tracey and Emma Raducanu both naming it as their favourite McLaren memory.
"Lots of fond memories, but if I have to choose one, I think I'm gonna have to say 44 winning the Championship in 2008," said AJ Tracey. "Why? Because Lewis and McLaren made history, and I'm all about celebrating British success."
"Lewis winning his World Championship in the iconic silver chrome car!" added Emma Raducanu. "My earliest image of F1."
Another popular choice was Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris' memorable 1-2 finish at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix.
"One of my most favourite memories was back in 2021 when, after a drought of nine years, we got P1 and P2," said Gordon Ramsay. "All of you, congratulations. Here's to the next 1000."
Kylie Minogue also gave a nod to her fellow Australians.
"You’re asking an Aussie! Daniel Ricciardo's race win in 2021,” she said when asked for her favourite McLaren moment. “And Oscar's first race win in Hungary."
And, of course, there was recognition for our 2024 Constructors' Championship triumph.
"Being in Abu Dhabi when McLaren secured their first Constructors' title since 1998," said Vikkstar. "One of the greatest recoveries in modern F1."
There have been 76 official Formula 1 Grands Prix in Monaco, and in the 16th, Bruce McLaren and his eponymous team debuted their first F1 car, the M2B, bearing a white livery with a green stripe, as part of a deal to appear in John Frankenheimer’s Hollywood movie, ‘Grand Prix’.
Few could have imagined that 1000 races later, the very same car would return to the streets of Monte Carlo.
Watching Mika Häkkinen guide the 60-year-old car around the twists and turns of the Principality was a genuinely special moment, one that brought everyone within earshot to a standstill - given how loud the car is, that was pretty much the whole of Monaco.
"This is going to be loud," Mika had warned before firing it up.
He wasn't wrong.
Eyes were locked onto the M2B as its V8 engine echoed around the Principality. It was the perfect tribute to six decades of McLaren history. As one of McLaren's most beloved former drivers, Mika was the perfect man to get behind the wheel – although the two-time World Champion admitted afterwards that it was "scary".
We think he made it look pretty easy.
We wouldn’t have made it to race No. 1, let alone No. 1000, without the many individuals who work tirelessly behind the scenes to put a car out on track – whether in design, build, engineering, finance, commercial or communications. And so to celebrate our 1000th Grand Prix, we asked current members of the team to tally up how many races they’ve clocked up for McLaren.
There was a huge range, with one member making their debut for McLaren this weekend and another hitting a half-century of races for the team. Incredibly, Commercial Trackside Operations Director Mark Norris – who you may recognise from his podium appearance at last year’s São Paulo Grand Prix, when he was chosen to collect the Constructors’ trophy – has worked on half of our 1000 races over the course of almost 30 years with McLaren.
A special race deserved a special look.
Ahead of the weekend, we unveiled a commemorative Monaco livery alongside matching race suits and team kit, all featuring subtle links to McLaren’s history. Hidden throughout the design were references to our first Grand Prix, key race victories and Championship triumphs, as well as nods to the Triple Crown and our world-record pit stop.
Alongside this, Lando and Oscar revealed bespoke helmet designs inspired by the occasion, each split into two distinct halves: one created by the drivers themselves, the other reflecting the anniversary livery. Developed in collaboration with LEGO®, the helmets were designed to exist both on track and in brick form, giving fans the chance to own a miniature piece of the celebration.
Forget photo of the weekend, this could be our favourite photograph in McLaren history. Following Mika's exhibition run, McLaren Grand Prix winners from across generations assembled on the Monaco grid for a picture decades in the making. Between them was a remarkable 926 Grand Prix starts, 93 wins, and five World Championships for McLaren.
Our current drivers Lando and Oscar, CEO Zak Brown, and Team Principal Andrea Stella were joined by McLaren World Champions Emerson Fittipaldi, Mika Häkkinen, and Lewis Hamilton, as well as race winners John Watson, Gerhard Berger, David Coulthard, Juan Pablo Montoya, Fernando Alonso and Heikki Kovalainen.
We were privileged enough to be on the grid for this extraordinary event and did our best to capture and document every second for you.
“When it comes down to it all, it’s always been about the people, starting with none other than our founder, Bruce McLaren… We continue to embody his racing spirit and his forever-forward mindset.”
Sixty years after our debut, those words still ring true.
Ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, Zak Brown reflected on the people who have shaped McLaren's journey from Bruce's first race to today. While the cars, technology and scale of the team have changed beyond recognition, the values that underpin McLaren remain the same.
As we head to Spain, they're values we'll continue to lean on.
The European triple-header continues with a trip to Barcelona. The team heads straight from Monaco to Spain, where they'll review the weekend and begin preparations for Round 7 of the season.
