McLaren drop new 2022 F1 team merchandise, details inside

McLaren has dropped new team merchandise ahead of the 2022 F1 season. The team is set to offer kit replicas as worn by its drivers Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo.

The merchandise will feature replica kits, which include the full-sleeved jackets Norris and Ricciardo wear when they're not racing. The range includes driver fanwear t-shirts with the team logo and a fanwear hoody with a brushed interior for warmth.

The products are made in collaboration with premium British sportswear brand Castore. They will be available for purchase from mclarenstore.com starting February 9, however, the pricing of the products has not yet been revealed. The collaboration between the two brands showcases the season-long partnership they are embarking upon.

Lindsey Eckhouse, McLaren's director of licensing for e-commerce, said:

“We’re delighted to be working with Castore to launch our new fanwear and replica team kit for the 2022 F1 season. Castore have truly embraced our appreciation of bold and brave design, creating a range that we believe our fans are going to love.”

As per some fans on Twitter, previous products have been severely overpriced and have also lacked in quality. One user posted about the lack of quality materials being used in the team's previous products, warning potential buyers of the lack of durability. The user said:

“The transfers came off in the wash really easily. I’ve worn my 2021 team shirt about 3 or 4 times and they’re already coming off. It’s been like that for a while.”

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McLaren doesn't expect 2022 budget cap to immediately level the playing field

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown doesn't expect the 2022 budget cap to immediately level the playing field between all teams. He claims it will take a bunch of years until teams have the same amount of resources as Ferrari and Mercedes.

Many believe the new cost cap will allow all teams to spend roughly the same amount on their cars, enabling closer championship battles between the field. The American exec disagrees with the highly-popular notion, claiming it will take several years until smaller teams have the spending power teams like Ferrari and Mercedes have. He said:

“I think it will, over time [level the playing field], but we in particular still have technology and infrastructure to catch up [on], i.e., wind tunnel and things of that nature. While I think five or six teams are going to run at the budget cap, we’re not all entering the race at the same stage, so to speak, so I think it will take a little bit of time — a couple of years — to get caught up to where we’re entering a season and we have everything Mercedes has, or Ferrari has. We might have what they have on an annualized basis, but we don’t have the same amount of toys [or] toy infrastructure that they have.”

McLaren are confident of their abilities in 2022 and have put all their faith in the hands of Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo. The pair will joust it out against Ferrari, and possibly even Red Bull and Mercedes, in the upcoming season.