McLaren: rediscovered legacy and a new guiding star
In Singapore, McLaren wrapped up the championship with plenty of time to spare, claiming the tenth Constructors’ Championship in the team’s history. This milestone crowns a season dominated from start to finish, with three Sprint races and six Grands Prix still to come. The dominance has been built over time but became overwhelming from the very first kilometers of the 2025 season.
Just a year ago, Woking’s squad narrowly beat Ferrari in the Constructors’ standings. Today, the scenario is completely different: 650 total points, double the margin over Mercedes, and Ferrari almost disappearing in comparison to 2024. These numbers confirm the absolute superiority of a technical and sporting project that has restored McLaren to its former glory.
McLaren – the rebirth of a historic brand
The current winning cycle traces back to 2016, when Zak Brown took over the team, finding it in a full-blown identity crisis. At the time, McLaren was almost seven hundred points behind world champions Mercedes and sixth in the standings, with a worn-out structure and a technical organization lacking clear direction.
Brown rebuilt everything from the ground up, instilling a culture of responsibility and efficiency in decision-making. In an era where Formula 1 emphasizes a “no-blame culture,” the American did not hesitate to remove underperforming personnel, even notable figures, when results fell short of expectations.
The real turning point came in 2023, when Andreas Seidl left for Audi, opening the door for Andrea Stella. The Italian engineer introduced a rigorous, silent, and deeply technical methodology, restoring the operational calm that characterized McLaren during the Ron Dennis years. Since then, the team has found stability and continuity, essential ingredients for building such a solid and well-deserved dominance.
Norris and Piastri: the perfect pairing for McLaren’s ambitions
At the heart of this resurgence are Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who have forged excellent sporting synergy in Formula 1 despite occasional tension during intense racing moments. The victories highlight not only the technical prowess of the MCL39 but also the team’s ability to manage two talented drivers without creating internal conflict. The much-discussed “Papaya Rules” have proven effective for Woking.
Examples such as Norris immediately taking responsibility after contact with Piastri in Canada, or Piastri respecting team orders in Monza, reinforce the image of a united McLaren, where collective objectives prevail over individual ambitions.
Even in Singapore, where an aggressive start by Norris left some internal tension, the team’s unity remained intact. This is thanks to a sporting culture that starts at the top and permeates every level of the organization.
Efficiency as the key to success
In an era defined by the budget cap, the difference comes from prioritizing correctly. Andrea Stella has applied this philosophy with absolute rigor, supported by Rob Marshall, the former Red Bull designer who joined McLaren in 2023 after 17 years of success at Milton Keynes.
Marshall redesigned internal processes, creating seamless coherence between simulations, wind tunnel testing — including the new facility debuted less than two years ago — and on-track feedback. Every update introduced by McLaren over the past two years has yielded measurable benefits, with near-perfect correlation between predictions and real-world performance.
The major breakthrough came with the aerodynamic package introduced in Austria in 2023. Since then, the MCL38 became a technical benchmark, combining downforce, efficiency, and tire management like no other car. These qualities flowed into the 2025 car, which now sees other rivals chasing McLaren.
With ten Constructors’ titles, McLaren has reclaimed its place as the second most successful team in F1 history, surpassing Williams. This is the first consecutive success since the golden years of 1990-1991, when Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost elevated Woking to the pinnacle of motorsport.
The goal is now clear: to also win the Drivers’ Championship, which McLaren has not claimed since 2008 when a young Lewis Hamilton secured his first of seven titles. But that is another story. For now, Singapore provided the perfect stage to celebrate a sporting cycle that has rewritten the hierarchy of modern Formula 1.
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