McLaren to shakedown MCL33 before Barcelona

Pre-season testing for F1's 2018 campaign will kick off in Barcelona on February 26, but McLaren will hit likely the track with its new car a few days before.

The Woking-based outfit will publicly pull the wraps off its MCL33 on February 23 at the McLaren Technology Center.

Reports have emerged that McLaren will take advantage at the outset of the two promotional film days allocated to each team by the FIA during the season to shake down its new charger at a venue of its choice.

Mileage is limited to 100km for the promotional events, but McLaren is likely keen to perform a full systems check with new engine partner Renault to ensure a trouble-free presentation and first day of running in Barcelona.

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Yesterday, Formula 1's second most successful team on the grid announced its first 2018 sponsor, revealing at the World Economic Forum in Davos a multi-year partnership with global news network CNBC.

"CNBC is a world-class, industry-leading brand and a superb fit for McLaren," said Zak Brown.

"This partnership will greatly enhance our ability to reach a global business target audience while enabling both CNBC and McLaren to highlight shared attributes and values.

"Formula 1 is a sport undergoing exciting change at multiple levels, and bringing that story to a global business will help raise the profile not only of McLaren and CNBC but the sport of Formula 1 too."

When McLaren unveils its MCL33 in a month, fans will be treated to an all-new livery, with speculation once again rife that the team will bring back - at least partially - the outfit's historical Papaya orange color.

In the interim, designer Sean Bull gives us his creative take on what the MCL33 could look like.

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