McLaren’s victory in this year’s Constructors’ Championship ended a long absence from the top of Formula 1 that lasted 26 years, since 1998. In that season, the MP4/13 of Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard also ended a crisis that had started in the early ’90s, which exploded after Ayrton Senna‘s departure and the conclusion of the McLaren-Honda era, followed by the arrival of Ford-Cosworth and Peugeot engines. However, the partnership with Mercedes, formed in 1995, became the foundation for the team’s rebirth, and today, like in 1998, they have won the Constructors’ Championship with German engines.
History Repeats Itself
However, there is a big difference between the two victories: in 1998, Mika Hakkinen also won the Drivers’ Championship, unlike Lando Norris. In an interview with planetf1.com, the Finnish driver praised the work McLaren did this year, which made him relive the emotions he felt 26 years ago: “It seems to me that everyone is working hard, making the right decisions, and playing good teamwork. This is what matters — people need to deserve something for their hard work. The management made the right decisions, and the mechanics did a fantastic job. The type of work McLaren is doing right now will make them stronger and feel even better. History continues to repeat itself, so it’s nice to see this. I feel it, and I think it’s fantastic.”
The Importance of Zak Brown and the New McLaren Era
The team’s growth in recent years, coupled with the competitive lineup and the plans for 2026, make Mika Hakkinen optimistic. He believes that a new chapter for the team has already begun, with which he also won the championship in 1999: “McLaren started a new era when Zak Brown took over the team,” he continued. “This is a comment that has nothing to do with McLaren’s history or what Ron Dennis did, but the team needed someone like Zak, who could generate the right team spirit and form people who would do the right things for the team. That was the moment when everything changed. I’m a good friend of his, but at the same time, I realized it wasn’t about an immediate change in McLaren’s success. It will take some time. If the investors, the team’s partners, the great engineers and mechanics, along with marketing, are willing to follow Zak in the way he is leading the team, success will come. It’s not just about this weekend or this year. McLaren’s new path to success will continue for a long time. That’s how I see it. With the experience Norris has, I believe he and McLaren can achieve a great result next year.”
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