McLaren and the car tasked with reviving its F1 fortunes

McLaren has unveiled the car which will contend the 2019 Formula One season without Fernando Alonso at the helm.

The British team has struggled in recent years and goes in to the new season with its least experienced driver line-up in recent memory — Spaniard Carlos Sainz will team up with McLaren junior Lando Norris. It fell well short of its pre-season promises of returning to podium contention in 2018, instead labouring to sixth in the championship. That campaign prompted a vast reorganisation of the team’s operation by CEO Zak Brown.

The 2019 car will retain the shade of orange associated with team founder Bruce McLaren’s original entries in the world championship. After several decades driving in grey or black cars, Brown had the team return to the iconic colours ahead of the 2017 season. The team has inverted its race suits, with Sainz and Norris appearing on stage during the event with predominantly blue overalls.

Having driven for the team since 2015, Alonso remains in a reserve role but his primary focus this season remains on his World Endurance Championship commitments with Toyota and his second attempt to win the Indy 500 with a McLaren entry at the famous oval race this May.

http://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/25994077/mclaren-launches-first-car-post-fernando-alonso-era