McLaren’s 26-year wait for a Formula 1 Constructors’ title has officially come to an end.
The team’s drivers Lando Norris, 25, and Oscar Piastri, 23, brought the trophy home to the papaya family on Sunday after maintaining the team’s lead ahead of Ferrari during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final race of the 2024 season.
After taking pole position in Qualifying on Saturday, Norris ultimately won the race. As for Piastri, who was right behind his teammate on the grid going into the final race, he came in 10th place after an early incident with Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen.
Although there was only a 21-point gap between McLaren and Ferrari in the Constructors’ standings, Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz Jr. and Charles Leclerc weren’t able to overtake the lead, especially since the team was already facing hurdles heading into the race as Leclerc had a 10-place grid penalty. But the Ferrari drivers did both podium on Sunday, with Sainz (his last race with the team before heading to Williams Racing next year) in second and Leclerc in third.
Seven-time F1 World Drivers’Champion Lewis Hamilton, who raced with Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team for the last time on Sunday before moving to Ferrari next year, also overtook teammate George Russell in the last lap, ultimately placing fourth.
The last time McLaren won the F1 Constructors’ Championship was in 1998, with drivers Mika Häkkinen and David Coulthard. However, after Zak Brown was named the CEO of McLaren Racing in 2018, he has been championing the team to be a top competitor again with team principal Andrea Stella.
Norris joined McLaren in 2019, making his F1 debut with the team. Piastri made his F1 debut in 2023 after joining McLaren as a reserve driver the year prior. And after several years of ups and downs, the team came back strong this year, which saw both Norris and Piastri score their first F1 wins this year at the Miami Grand Prix and Hungarian Grand Prix, respectively.
Overall, McLaren notched 20 podiums this year, including Norris claiming the No. 1 spot for four races this season and Piastri for two.
Earlier this season, Norris chatted with The Hollywood Reporter and reflected on everything he’s accomplished this year with the team.
“Even after three, four, five races, we were like, ‘Yeah, we’ve still got a lot of work to do.’ But we did it!” he told THR, ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix in November. “We did the hard work and we improved on so many areas and we ended up being the most competitive team this year. … But it’s definitely not any easier, and if anything it’s tougher because you’re racing against the best of the best who have been in this position for much longer than we have.”
The Constructors’ title also comes with a big financial reward for teams, according to The Associated Press. While the prize money varies, it is typically worth around $140 million.
Earlier this season, Verstappen also won his fourth World Drivers’ Championship.
