McLaren celebrates the legacy of its first Formula 1 World Championships at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering

McLaren’s presence at the 2024 Monterey Car Week will centre on its remarkable racing history and how its Formula 1 pedigree inspires its supercars today, as it marks the 50^th anniversary of its first Formula 1 World Championships – and more – at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, on 16 August.

1974 represents a landmark year in McLaren history. Brazilian driver Emerson Fittipaldi became McLaren’s first Formula 1 World Drivers’ Champion, the youngest driver to become world champion at that time. At the same time, the team also secured its first World Constructors’ Championship.

The double victory was the ultimate validation of the McLaren team’s purpose. Conceived to win at the highest level, the team achieved its goal four years on from the tragic death of founder Bruce McLaren, in June 1970. McLaren has gone on to achieve 12 World Drivers’ Championships and eight World Constructors’ titles, establishing itself as an elite force in not only Formula 1 but across a broad spectrum of global motorsports.

Fittipaldi won three races during the 1974 season on his way to the championship. Teammate Denny Hulme – a compatriot to Bruce who had raced with him in both Formula 1 and Can-Am, during McLaren’s dominant five-championship-long winning streak – victorious at the season opening Argentinian Grand Prix. Together they delivered the World Constructors’ Championship for McLaren.

Marking the occasion, Fittipaldi’s 1974 title-winning McLaren M23 Formula 1 car will be on display. Subsequent evolutions of the car were entered in the championship by the McLaren team until the mid-point of the 1977 season. In total the M23 won 16 Grand Prix, and a further World Drivers’ Championship title with James Hunt in 1976. It is one of McLaren’s most successful Formula 1 designs, and a foundational piece of the marque’s rich racing heritage.

Reflecting the intersection of McLaren’s track-bred DNA and spectacular supercar craftsmanship, one of only six McLaren 750S with 3-7-59 Theme will be on stand with the M23. Revealed in November 2023, the 3-7-59 theme boasts exquisite artwork celebrating McLaren’s capture of the Triple Crown of Motorsport, honouring victories at the 1974 Indianapolis 500, the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix, and the 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours.

This year, McLaren marked Ayrton Senna’s incredible legacy 30 years on from his passing with the reveal of two special cars at the Monaco Grand Prix. Complementing a one-off livery for the MCL38 Formula 1 cars driven by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, McLaren Automotive revealed the McLaren Senna with Senna Sempre Livery. This unique and stunning car, featuring artwork hand painted by the technical experts at McLaren Special Operations (MSO), is a bold homage to Senna on track and his colourful personality. The car will be in North America for the first time and presented alongside two Senna race-driven Formula 1 cars.

The inaugural McLaren Trophy America championship will take place in 2025. The 10 round championship for bespoke McLaren race cars based on the same track-bred DNA as their road-going counterparts will begin in March and will include races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Circuit of the Americas. This inclusive series provides competitive racing for amateur GT drivers and aspiring professional drivers. And at The Quail, an exciting development for the series will be shown.

“50 years on from our first world championship win, we continue to be inspired by our history of racing through the ages. Today, we compete in Formula 1, GT racing, IndyCar, Formula E, Extreme E and in the virtual world, and every supercar we create is with a continuation of this racing heritage. The expansion of this with McLaren Trophy America in 2025 only proves our commitment to making more history on track.” – Michael Leiters, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Automotive.