Although McLaren, which secured the Constructors’ Championship several weeks ago, will focus primarily on the battle for the Drivers’ title in Abu Dhabi, the British team will also attract attention in another way. For the decisive race of the season, it has unveiled a special fan-inspired livery created in collaboration with one of its biggest partners, VELO.

Nine selected McLaren supporters took part in designing the one-off paint scheme. The team invited them to the McLaren Technology Centre, where they were given a behind-the-scenes tour and met key figures including Zak Brown and Lando Norris.

“Our fans are at the heart of everything we do, and this special livery is another way of showing our appreciation,” said McLaren’s Chief Marketing Officer Louise McEwen.

She added that the Live Your Fandom campaign celebrates fan creativity and strengthens the community around the “Papaya family”.

The timing of the livery’s debut is symbolic. The Yas Marina Circuit will host the final showdown for the Drivers’ Championship, and McLaren could claim its first drivers’ crown since 2008. Both of the team’s drivers remain in contention: Lando Norris leads the standings with a 16-point advantage over team-mate Oscar Piastri. Max Verstappen is also in the fight, sitting between the two McLaren drivers in the standings and trailing Norris by 12 points.