SimplyAbuDhabi XLIV

M cLaren cars are the embodiment of automotive excellence, a daz- zling symphony of cutting-edge technology, unparalleled crafts- manship, and sheer performance. Every McLaren vehicle is a masterpiece sculpted in carbon fibre, meticulously designed to marry aesthetics with aerodynamics, ensuring that every curve and contour serves both beauty and function. At the heart of McLaren’s allure lies its heritage in Formula 1 ® , a legacy of pre- cision engineering and innovation that infuses every road car they produce. The engines roar with a symphonic precision, delivering breathtaking acceleration that pins you to your seat, while the handling is so razor-sharp, it feels like an ex- tension of your very being. Each McLaren is a dancer on the tarmac, responding to the driver’s slightest touch with grace and ferocity. Thus it is fitting that McLaren is marking 30 years of Ayrton Senna’s incred- ible legacy of performance with a powerful and emotive tribute that visually represents his vibrant personality and outlook on life, and his three Formula 1 ® World Championship titles and five Monaco Grand Prix victories with McLaren. In parallel with a one-off livery for the MCL38 Formula 1 ® cars that will be driv- en by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix, McLar- en Automotive celebrates Ayrton Senna’s talent, racing achievements, and more with the Senna Sempre livery: a unique, hand-painted tribute to Ayrton applied on a pre-production McLaren Senna from McLaren’s own heritage collection. The Senna Sempre livery has been created as part of McLaren’s ongoing asso- ciation with the Ayrton Senna Institute. It showcases not only the peerless paint mastery and craftmanship that McLaren Automotive is uniquely placed to deliver through McLaren Special Operations (MSO), but also distinctive visuals hon- ouring the Formula 1 ® career of Ayrton Senna, his tenacious drive for perfection, Brazilian nationality, and McLaren racing history – including on the streets of Monaco – through bright and bold paint colours and bespoke interior treatments. The McLaren Senna, revealed in December 2017, is the most extreme McLar- en road car ever made. Designed, engineered and developed as the ultimate track-oriented car for the road, it delivers total commitment to uncompromised performance. In creating the Senna Sempre, McLaren transformed the visuals of a pre-produc- tion McLaren Senna that is part of its own heritage collection. Used for vehicle attribute validation of the high levels of performance and engagement in the Mc- Laren Senna production models that followed, the car was also extensively cap- tured on camera to support the original launch campaign and was one of the cars at the global media test drive, held at the Estoril Grand Prix circuit in June 2018. Retained by McLaren as a pre-production car, it has since featured in high-profile media performance tests and been part of landmark McLaren moments, includ- ing the royal opening of the McLaren Composites Technology Centre (MCTC) in Sheffield that was attended by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (now the Prince and Princess of Wales), and HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Inspired byAyrton Senna’s legacy and philosophy, the McLaren Senna bears both the name of the legendary Formula 1 ® driver and champion and the Senna ‘Dou- ble S’ logo alongside the McLaren badge. The Double S also features within the intricate paintwork, as one of many individual visual tributes toAyrton Senna that align with details on the bespoke MCL38 Formula 1 ® car – the logo being visible on the blue panel bridging the vents housed within the front clamshell, which complements the Senna script on the bright green rear wing. Paints selected for the Senna Sempre livery reflect the colours of the Brazilian flag, with bright yellow, green and blue tones brought together using a wash tech- nique newly developed by MSO. This technique allows the paints to blend into each other without creating any additional colours, while also evoking speed and the movement of a waving flag. This effect is also applied to the McLaren badge on the nose of the car. Green and white border lines running around the car’s glasshouse and the venting at the base of the windscreen are directly inspired by the detailing on Ayrton Senna’s iconic race helmet design. On the panels shrouding the large air intakes on the side of the car, MSO’s paint technicians have created two distinct representations of Ayrton Senna. Applied by hand and requiring exceptional attention to detail, the dot matrix effect comes to life from a distance, depicting him on and off track. Contrasting with the bright gloss paint finishes, satin finish exposed visual carbon fibre panels feature on the car’s exterior and interior. Inside, this complements be- spoke yellowAlcantara upholstery with green perforations and a white 12 o’clock 284 | Simply Abu Dhabi