What’s It Like To Drive A McLaren At Silverstone?

Rumour has it that a Sheikh once walked into his MSO (McLaren Special Operations) appointment with a bag of diamonds and told the design team that he’d like them crushed up and included in the paint of his new supercar. Rumour also has it that of the 106 original McLaren F1 supercars made in the 90s, 100 are left in existence though one is thought to be missing, current owner unknown, so it could be 99. On my arrival at the iconic Silverstone circuit for the annual Pure McLaren Silverstone track day, I was there to live out my F1 racing driver fantasy; but I was also there for the ‘Special Operations’ gossip. 

Pure McLaren Silverstone 2025

Sadly, though understandably, the MSO team – the department responsible for personalisation, modification and specialist repairs – are tight-lipped about the identity and individual requests of their customers, so I was able to neither confirm nor rule out the diamond paint-job. However, I did hear more about the potential backroom deals that make vintage supercars tricky to keep track of, and confirmed that one F1 car is indeed currently missing. But there were no deals, front or back room, happening in the spec suite at Silverstone; all 399 of the brand’s new supercar were sold by its launch in 2024, with production now underway ahead of delivery in 2026. In fact, some of the new W1 owners were also at the Pure event, bringing their existing McLaren cars with them for some time on the track. ‘We’ve had clients who are getting out from driving their race car on the track, coming upstairs, specking their W1 with the MSO team, then going to have some lunch before getting back into their race car,’ Jonathan Simms, head of McLaren Special Operations (MSO) told me from our seats just outside the spec suite. ‘It’s a really seamless experience.’ Driving one McLaren around the Silverstone circuit, designing your new limited edition McLaren supercar and then enjoying a spot of lunch before a bit more track time? It’s any petrolhead’s dream day. 

Despite being a die-hard F1 fan, (the constructor’s championship is another reason the McLaren camp is feeling particularly upbeat, sold-out supercars aside) I am no petrolhead. But it’s impossible not to be enthused by the brand’s latest launch, which we got up close and personal with alongside Heather Fitch, the Product Manager for the W1, who has been working on the car for four years. Despite knowing every inch of the car – ‘We’ve created F1-inspired side vents for optimum performance, but the side airflow meant there’s no room for side door hinges, so they’ve been moved to the top, meaning the car opens rather uniquely,’ – Heather has only driven the car once. ‘I’m looking forward to seeing it out on track again today,’ she told us, slightly longingly, eyeing the prototype ready in the pit lane for some development laps.    

To my relief, I wasn’t trusted with the W1, but was thrilled to get behind the wheel of a purple Artura, the 2022 lightweight hybrid supercar with a V6 engine. As well as being a chance for McLaren owners to take their cars out on track, the Pure event is also for prospective owners to get behind the wheel and test the cars in the ultimate racing environment. Also to my relief, one-to-one coaching is included, and I’m in excellent hands under the tutelage of British racing driver Jade Edwards, who guides me through each lap with her ‘heavy on the brakes’, ‘hard left’ and ‘really throw it in’ notes, encouraging me to steer harder and use every inch of the track until I’m really comfortable, even at speeds in the 150mphs. (There are plenty of cars overtaking me at these speeds nonetheless.) The car feels connected, responsive, and incredibly nimble, with light-touch steering, and powerful (unnervingly so) hybrid acceleration. The ride, albeit courtesy of the Silverstone track, is comfortable and smooth, encouraging confidence even if you’re new to supercars.

Racing driver Jade Edwards and Rebecca Cox

When I climbed out of the Artura and looked down the pit lane at the rainbow of McLarens lined up for their laps, I considered how I’d spec out my very own supercar. Colour washing (every inch of the car made up in the same colour) is very ‘in’, according to Jonathan Simms, so perhaps an all-pink-everything McLaren? (It’s been done, he tells me.) I was interested to ask him what was off-limits from his team in terms of client requests. ‘We’re not here to define what’s tasteful,’ he said, explaining that of course anything illegal or offensive would be a no, ‘we’re here to say yes.’ Each one of the 399 W1s will be bespoke to the owners specifications, making them effectively one of one designs. And any used McLaren can be redesigned with the MSO team to make it unique to its new owner, too. For some, Jonathan tells me, the pleasure is in the design process entirely, ‘once they’ve actually got the car, they’re ready to start working on the next one.’ But even if I had the Sheikh’s (alleged) diamond-encrusted McLaren to flash around town, I can’t imagine the pleasure of creating the outside outweighing the pleasure of zipping around the British Grand Prix track inside one. 

THE FINAL WORD 

I might not have set the fastest McLaren Silverstone lap for 2025 – Oscar Piastri just pipped me – but I got enough of a glimpse into the McLaren supercar club to see that there’s more to owning one of these British motors than just a need for speed (though it’s a good start). 

BOOK 

Pure McLaren Silverstone 2026 register of interest is now open at cars.mclaren.com. 

The 2025 program was as follows: McLaren Experience: A half-day program (AM or PM) for first-time McLaren drivers, including three track sessions with one-to-one coaching in a McLaren Artura or 750S. From £2,595 | Owner Road Car: For McLaren road car owners to experience their car on the track. Includes four 50-minute track sessions and a 20-minute one-to-one coaching session. From £995 | Performance Academy Road Car (Tier 1 & 2): A step-by-step program to refine driving skills, including expert coaching, video and data analysis, and overnight accommodation. From £6,495 | Performance Academy Race Car (Tier 3 & 4): Designed for those eager to explore a professionally prepared McLaren race car, focusing on advanced track driving and race craft. Includes overnight accommodation. From £14,995 | Owner Race Car: An exclusive two-day private track day for McLaren race car owners, with McLaren factory engineers and technicians managing the car and a dedicated driver coach. Includes overnight accommodation and hosted guest dinners. From £29,995