McLaren leads the Formula 1 constructors’ championship, a first in 10 years
Thanks to Oscar Piastri's victory and Lando Norris's fourth place in Baku, McLaren finds itself leading a championship that the British team has won eight times in its history.
Several major historical events occurred during the 2024 edition of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. We can already mention the first points scored by an Argentine driver in 42 years thanks to Franco Colapinto, and the second points finish for Oliver Bearman, who became the first driver to score points with two different teams in his first two Grand Prix. Another notable fact is the position now held by the McLaren team in the constructors’ championship after seventeen Grand Prix races this season.
For several months now, there is no doubt that the Woking single-seaters are the most performant on the grid. It was thus only a matter of time before McLaren regained the leading position in the constructors’ championship, a position held by Red Bull since the Spanish Grand Prix 2022. We must go all the way back to the Australian Grand Prix 2014 to find the team founded by Bruce McLaren at the top of this championship.
At the time, the race contested in Melbourne’s Albert Park was the first under the new engine regulations on V6 Turbo Hybrid that would usher in the era of Mercedes dominance. With the German engine, McLaren had placed its two drivers of the time, Kevin Magnussen and Jenson Button, in second and third places behind Nico Rosberg’s formidable W05.
To see:The F1 drivers and constructors standings
However, McLaren has one of the most impressive track records in the history of Formula 1. Since the first Grand Prix in Monaco in 1966, the British team has won eight constructors’ titles, making it the third most successful Formula 1 team, equal with Mercedes and one title behind Williams. This ranking is still led by Ferrari and its sixteen titles.
On the drivers’ side, twelve championships have been won behind the wheel of a single-seater developed by Woking. It should be noted that the last two driver championships won by McLaren were achieved without the team winning the constructors’ title. These were the 1999 season with Mika Häkkinen and the 2008 season with Lewis Hamilton. Therefore, if McLaren were to win the drivers’ title with Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri this season, it would be the first time in sixteen years.
As for the constructors’ championship, McLaren would end a drought of twenty-six years if they were to win the title in Abu Dhabi next December. The last constructors’ crown won by Woking dates back to 1998, the year of Mika Häkkinen’s first of two titles.
