Credits: IMAGO / Crash Media Group
Gearing up for the 2024 Monaco GP, McLaren decided on a throwback to pay homage to one of the team’s most successful cars of all time – the MP4/4. The Woking-based squad has partnered up with K-Swiss to launch sneakers which will also act as a tribute to Ayrton Senna.
The Si-18 Premier K-Swiss x McLaren sneakers launched by McLaren cost $200, as per their website. The team even promoted it on their Instagram account, with Lando Norris sporting the shoes that pay tribute to Senna’s championship-winning car.
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The Marlboro McLaren MP4/4 helped Senna win his first World Championship in 1988. Driven by both Senna and his teammate Alain Prost, the car won 15 out of 16 Grand Prix that season.
It held the record for being the most dominant F1 car in history before Red Bull’s RB19 shattered that record in 2023.
The sneakers are being marketed by McLaren as a precursor to the Monaco GP. But the timing of the launch also sets up to pay tribute to Senna. The legendary Brazilian driver lost his life 30 years ago at the Imola circuit, which is where F1 travels to this coming weekend.
Can McLaren hope to end Red Bull’s domination at Imola?
On the track, McLaren’s focus will be to carry forward their good form from Miami onto the upcoming race in Imola. However, the Red Bull challenge still poses a huge hurdle, despite Norris’ win in the Sunshine State two weeks ago.
Red Bull was the most dominant team in 2023, with the RB19 helping the Milton-Keynes-based team win 21 out of 22 races on the calendar. This season, however, they have already lost two races; one of them thanks to McLaren.
The British team now has a chance of getting one up on its rivals at Imola. If they end up winning back-to-back races, Red Bull’s firm grasp on dominance could be lost.
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However, things aren’t going to be straightforward for McLaren. Both, Ferrari and Red Bull are expected to bring major upgrades for themselves at Imola. This could neutralize McLaren’s advantage and bring Red Bull back to the very front of the F1 grid.
