The race
The 2026 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix runs December 3 to 6 at Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island, the final round of the season. Book tickets and hotels early; race week is the busiest of the Abu Dhabi winter.
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The Leader · Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Countdown: Etihad Unveils a Boeing 787 Dreamliner in McLaren Papaya
Four weeks before the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Etihad Airways rolled out a Boeing 787 Dreamliner painted in McLaren Racing's papaya orange, the first Formula One team livery on a wide-body airliner, at a reveal in Abu Dhabi that also set a Guinness World Record.
At a glance
Etihad's McLaren Dreamliner at a glance
- Aircraft
- Etihad Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner
- Livery
- McLaren Racing papaya, the first F1 team livery on a wide-body airliner
- Unveiled
- November 9, 2026, at Etihad Engineering, Abu Dhabi
- Record
- Guinness World Record for the largest single-piece kabuki reveal
- Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
- December 3 to 6, 2026, Yas Marina Circuit
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
A papaya Dreamliner for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has its most colorful countdown yet. On Monday, November 9, 2026, Etihad Airways unveiled a Boeing 787 Dreamliner in the livery of McLaren Racing at Etihad Engineering in Abu Dhabi. The design wraps the aircraft in McLaren's signature papaya orange, adds a dark mask around the cockpit windows and keeps Etihad's own tail. According to the airline and The National, it is the first time a Formula One team's colors have been applied to a wide-body airliner.
The reveal itself made history. A single enormous sheet of fabric was dropped to uncover the aircraft, a theatrical technique known as a kabuki reveal, and Guinness World Records verified it as the largest single-piece kabuki reveal ever staged.
Guests included Etihad chairman Mohammed Al Shorafa, Etihad chief executive Antonoaldo Neves, McLaren Racing chief executive Zak Brown and the former Formula One driver Mika Häkkinen.
From the track to the sky
Etihad and McLaren, from the track to the sky
The aircraft is the most visible chapter of a partnership announced in February 2026, when Etihad became an Official Partner of the McLaren Formula One team and of McLaren's Hypercar team in the World Endurance Championship, "for the 2026 season and beyond." Etihad's name already appears on the rear wing and halo of McLaren's 2026 car and on the drivers' helmets, and the February announcement promised a Dreamliner in McLaren colors later in the year. That promise has now been kept.
Etihad has also been the title sponsor of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix since 2009, so the papaya Dreamliner ties together the airline, a championship team and the race that closes the Formula One calendar. Mr. Neves described the aircraft as a reflection of the shared ambition and performance standards of the two companies, while Mr. Brown said it would bring McLaren closer to Etihad's travelers and give the team's papaya a presence in the skies.
The aircraft will fly from Zayed International Airport on Etihad's regular network. Its first scheduled service was planned as EY103 to Madrid on Tuesday, November 10, with Jakarta among the routes expected to follow in the days after, so travelers on a range of Etihad flights may find themselves boarding the papaya jet.
Planning a trip for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Where to stay
Yas Island puts you beside the circuit, while Saadiyat Island and the city's grand hotels offer beaches and calm after a day at the track. Our guide to Yas Island hotels, theme parks and F1 and our Abu Dhabi luxury hotels guide cover both.
How to fly
Etihad flies nonstop to Abu Dhabi from several North American cities. Compare cabins in our guide to first and business class on the region's airlines, and read how Etihad added a new gateway in Calgary.
Make it a stopover
An Abu Dhabi stopover on the way to Asia or Australia is an easy way to add the race weekend, the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Saadiyat beaches to a longer journey.
Events in Abu Dhabi this winter
The Grand Prix is the high point of a full season of events in Abu Dhabi, from art fairs to concerts and heritage festivals, and the papaya Dreamliner is a fine way to arrive in the spirit of it. See our Formula One in the Middle East guide for every race in the region, and the Middle East events calendar for the rest of the winter. For American travelers planning F1 Middle East weekends, Abu Dhabi in early December pairs warm, dry days with the region's most famous race under the lights.
Questions readers ask
When is the 2026 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?
December 3 to 6, 2026, at Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island, as the final race of the Formula One season.
What is special about Etihad's McLaren aircraft?
It is a Boeing 787 Dreamliner in McLaren Racing's papaya livery, the first Formula One team livery on a wide-body airliner, unveiled in Abu Dhabi on November 9, 2026.
Which record did the unveiling set?
Guinness World Records verified it as the largest single-piece kabuki reveal, in which one large sheet of fabric is dropped to uncover the aircraft.
Checked on 11/10/2026. Prices and dates are approximate and can change. See our standard.