McLaren Paints P1 GTR in James Hunt’s Race Colors

F1 legend’s son Freddie Hunt got behind the wheel of the customized hypercar

Visitors at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed were treated with a unique McLaren P1 GTR featuring a similar paint scheme to that of the legendary Formula One driver James Hunt's race helmet.

Not only that, but the car was driven up the hill by none other than Freddie Hunt, the son of 1976 Formula One World Champion. Inspired by James Hunt's famous race helmet, the P1 GTR's special paint scheme marked the 40th anniversary of the British driver's Formula 1 championship win.  

McLaren created the one-off paint specifically for the entry of the car in this year's Festival of Speed. The car has a base color of black that combines with red, yellow and blue stripes echoing those found on James Hunt's race helmet. The champion chose these tones because they resembled his school's colors.  

In the short time it was offered for sale, the McLaren P1 GTR had a purchase price of nearly £2 million (about $2.66 million), a sum that bought more than just a fantastic track car. P1 GTR owners are automatically involved in the ultimate McLaren ownership experience, the McLaren P1 GTR Driver Programme. As a result, they get to take part in exclusive events at international Formula 1 circuits and are granted access to the McLaren Racing driver simulator and a team of race technicians.

The McLaren P1 GTR features a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 engine paired with an electric motor for a total output of 986 hp (1,000 PS) – 86 hp more than the street-legal version. McLaren built just 45 units of the track-only hypercar, each featuring aerodynamic and track-optimized upgrades compared to the standard P1.