The McLaren F1 team has been involved in Formula 1 since 1966, making it the second oldest team still active in F1.
McLaren is also the second most successful Formula 1 team after Ferrari, with 12 Drivers’ Championships and 8 Constructor’s Championships. The majority of the team is owned by the McLaren Group, and it was founded in 1963 by Bruce McLaren. Teddy Mayer took over the team in 1970 after Bruce McLaren’s tragic death during a test-driving incident. Four years later, Mayer led McLaren to their first Constructors’ Championship in 1974.
The same year, McLaren began its well-established sponsorship with the Marlboro cigarette brand. McLaren dominated the mid-80s and early 90s, with its most successful drivers, Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, and Niki Lauda, winning seven Drivers’ Championships between them and six Constructors’ Championships. Zak Brown is currently the chief executive officer of McLaren Racing. He was appointed in 2018.
For many years, McLaren and Ferrari have had an extreme rivalry. With the two teams being the longest-standinganding teams in Formu, la One, they have raced against one another every season since 1966. Many drivers have driven for both McLaren and Ferrari; for example, Niki Lauda won the Drivers’ Championships and Constructors’ Championships with both Ferrari and McLaren. Although the big teams of today, Mercedes and Red Bull Racing, have taken the focus and also have a huge rivalry, Ferrari and McLaren are making their way up the ranks again and fighting for that third position between them.
McLaren 2022 F1 Drivers
Lando Norris
Lando Norris has climbed up the ranks to become one of the top drivers in Formula One in 2022. Before F1, Lando Norris had many accolades to his name; he won the Super One Series’ O’ Plate in 2010, and then in 2012, he became Formula Kart Stars champion and runner-up in the MSA Super One British Championship. The British driver also won titles in CIK-FIA KFJ European, CIK-FIA KFJ Super Cup, WSK Euro Series KFJ, CIK-FIA International Super Cup and World Karting Championship. At age 14, Norris became the youngest karting world champion when he won the CIK-FIA KF World Championship title.
2016 saw Norris take home many single-seater championship titles, including Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup, Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup and the Toyota Racing Series Championship. That same year, Lando Norris won the McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver Award, a huge award for any upcoming racing driver. From an early age, McLaren could spot the young driver’s potential. Every year, Norris progressed more and more. Lando Norris won the 2017 FIA Formula 3 European Championship, which opened McLaren’s doors for him.
In 2018, Norris was named the official test and reserve driver for the McLaren F1 team, and that same year, his success in Formula 3 also promoted Norris to the Formula 2 Carlin team. Norris had a very successful season driving in F2, placing second in the F2 European Championship. Lando Norris’s winning streaks and high performances led him to progress into Formula 1. After a year of brilliant driving, McLaren announced in 2018 that Lando Norris would join the team and partner with Carlos Sainz for the 2019 season.
In his debut season for McLaren, the rookie performed very well, although he fell short of 49 points compared to his teammate Carlos Sainz Jr’s 96. This was due to mechanical issues and engine failures for the British driver. Lando finished the season with three consecutive finishes, gaining points, and his performance was rewarded with a multi-year contract for McLaren. This contract would last until 2022. Lando Norris’s first season with McLaren was a good indication of what was to come of the young driver, and his second season with McLaren didn’t disappoint.
At the first race of the 2020 season, Norris got his first podium in Formula 1 and with McLaren, finishing third at the Austrian Grand Prix after a grid penalty for Hamilton pushed him up. Lando finished the season with 97 points, and alongside teammate Sainz Jr., he helped McLaren to P3 in the Constructors’ Championship.
2021 saw a new partnership with Daniel Ricciardo replacing Carlos Sainz Jr. Lando Norris had another excellent season with McLaren, ending the season with 160 points, ahead of teammate Ricciardo, who finished with 115 points. Norris got four podium finishes and placed 6th in the drivers standings, the best finish in his F1 career. Although Ricciardo and Norris’ points failed to put McLaren in the top three for Constructors, they did give McLaren their first 1-2 podium finish in over 10 years at the Italian Grand Prix.
Although the 2022 season isn’t over yet, it has been revealed that Lando Norris has signed a contract extension with McLaren until 2025. At the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola, Lando Norris placed third, his best finish of the 2022 season. This finish was surprising, considering McLaren’s MCL36 car performance hasn’t been on par with the other cars in Formula One this year.
Daniel Ricciardo
Daniel Ricciardo, self-acclaimed “Honey Badger”, has had a career in Formula 1 for over 10 years. Like many other Formula 1 drivers, Ricciardo began his career with karting. At 15 years of age, Ricciardo joined Formula Ford, and through this, he won a scholarship into the 2006 Formula BMW Asia series. Daniel won two races and a pole position in his debut season, ending the year in third place. The Australian driver made the big move to Europe in 2007 to race in Formula Renault 2.0 Italy.
Daniel Ricciardo won the Formula Renault 2.0 WEC title the following year; in 2009, he won the British Formula 3 title. After winning the F3 title, Ricciardo made his F1 testing debut at the Circuito de Jerez, testing for Red Bull Racing. Ricciardo topped the timesheets, clocking the fastest time of the test. Daniels driving at Jerez led him to be noticed and go on to take the test and reserve a seat at Toro Rosso for 2010. The Aussie also made the move to Formula Renault 3.5.
After an impressive performance at the World Series, Toro Rosso rewarded Ricciardo with regular FP1 appearances in 2011 for the first half of the season. For the second half of that same year, HR contracted Ricciardo. 2012, Daniel moved to Toro Rosso, where he made his place in F1 clear with many outstanding performances throughout his two seasons, scoring 13 out of the 39 races he participated in. 2014 Daniel Ricciardo was promoted to the Red Bull Racing team for the 2014 season.
In his debut season with Red Bull Racing, the Aussie performed outstandingly, winning three races, including his first F1 win at the Canadian Grand Prix. Daniel Ricciardo finished an incredible third in the Drivers’ Championship. Throughout his four years with Red Bull Racing, Daniels won many races and finished third in the Drivers’ Championship twice.
In 2016, Ricciardo took his first pole position at the Monaco Grand Prix, and two years later, he won the Monaco Grand Prix after battling with a car down on power and failing breaks. After a successful career with Red Bull Racing, Ricciardo moved to Renault, where he scored a couple of podiums during his two seasons with the team.
In Daniels’s first season with the McLaren F1 team in 2021, the Aussie driver finished 8th in the drivers’ standings with 115 points. Daniel has become the most experienced Australian F1 driver in Formula 1 history. During his debut season with McLaren, Ricciardo gave McLaren their first victory since 2012 with his fantastic victory at the Italian Grand Prix. This made it his 8th career win, and during his first season, he also took the fastest lap at Monza, the 16th of his career.
In 2022, it was revealed that Daniel Ricciardo would no longer be a part of the McLaren F1 team with 2021 Formula 2 Champion Oscar Piastri. Daniel Riccardo has been named Red Bull Racings Reserve Driver for the 2023 season. Hopefully, we will see the Honey Badger in action sometime next year.
McLaren F1 Car 2022
At the beginning of 2022, the McLaren F1 team released their F1 car for the coming season, the MCL36. The new vehicle has not only a new colour but a new style. The MCL36 has the bright papaya orange of McLaren dominating the exteriors, and a light blue compliments it. All F1 cars have seen significant changes this year due to regulations put in place; this is no different for the MCL36. In an attempt to climb back up the ranks of Formula One, the MCL36 has a pull-rod front suspension and rear pushrod design.
McLaren F1 Drivers
Seven drivers have won 12 Drivers’ Championship titles with McLaren: Emerson Fittipaldi (1974), James Hunt (1976), Niki Lauda (1984), Alain Prost (1985, 1986, 1989), Ayrton Senna (1988, 1990, 1991), Mika Häkkinen (1998, 1999), Lewis Hamilton (2008). Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost and Mika Häkkinen have won the most Drivers’ titles for the team, with seven wins out of the three of them.
Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna was a Brazilian racing driver who competed in Formula One for ten years. During his career, Senna won 41 Grand Prix, including the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix six times, including five consecutive wins. This record has yet to be beaten by any other Formula 1 driver.
In 1983, Senna won the British Formula 3 Championship, and a year later, he made his Formula One debut with Toleman-Hart. The following year, the Brazilian driver moved to Lotus-Renault, where he won six Grand Prix during his time with the team. His success with Lotus-Renault earned him recognition, and in 1988, he joined McLaren-Honda.
Senna Ayrton was one of the most significant drivers ever in a McLaren seat, winning more Driver’s Championships than any other driver. During his time with McLaren, Ayrton took three driver’s Championships and won 35 races with the British team over six years. In his debut season with McLaren, Senna won eight out of the 15 wins that McLaren took that year, with his teammate Alain Prost winning seven. 1988 marked Senna’s first-ever Drivers’ Championship.
In 1990, after losing the championship title to teammate Alain Prost the previous year, Senna came back fighting and claimed the Drivers’ Championship title, making it his second win in three years. In 1991, Ayrton made his dominance in Formula 1 even clearer by winning his third Drivers’ Championship title with a season full of outstanding performances. Senna drove successfully for McLaren for another two years after this, finishing second in the Drivers’ Championship in his final year with the British team.
With Williams making moves in Formula 1, Senna signed with the team in 1994. This would be Senna’s final year driving in Formula One. In a tragic accident on 1 May 1994, during the San Marino Grand Prix, Senna Ayrton, who was leading the race, crashed into the concrete wall at Tamburello corner on the Imola track. The impact of the horrific crash caused severe head trauma to the Brazilian driver, who died as a result of his injuries. The crash shocked the Formula One world.
Alain Prost
Alain Prost is a former French Formula One driver who won the Drivers’ Championship an impressive four times during his career. During his time with the McLaren F1 team, Alain Prost had a massive competition with teammate Senna Ayrton. The duo achieved great success.
Alain Prost is a former French Formula One driver who won the Drivers’ Championship an impressive four times during his career. In 1978 and 1979, he won the French and European F3 championships. After a successful career in F3, Prost decided to join McLaren to make his Formula 1 debut. In his six seasons with McLaren, Alain Prost won 30 races and three Drivers’ Championship titles. He was runner-up twice to his teammate Ayrton. In 1985, Prost, nicknamed “The Professor”, made history by becoming the first French World Champion. In 1988, Prost contributed seven wins out of the 15 the McLaren F1 team won.
James Hunt
James Hunt joined McLaren in 1976 after Fittipaldi announced his departure from the team, and that same year, he took home the title of the British team’s World Drivers’ Championship. The 1976 World Championship was surrounded by controversy and drama, with close competition between McLaren’s James Hunt and Ferrari’s Niki Lauda throughout the season. The first half of Hunt’s season was impacted by a disqualification from the British Grand Prix, but in the last three races, Hunt regained enough points to put him in the running for the Championship title.
After a severe crash at the German Grand Prix, Lauda was out of the race, and James took the lead. With his biggest competition out of the championship for two races, Hunt was able to close the gap in the race to the championship title. When Lauda returned to racing, Hunt was only three points behind the Austrian driver, making the final race at the Japanese Grand Prix even more intense. When Lauda pulled out of the race due to the conditions, James Hunt finished in third place to gain four points, winning the Drivers’ Championship by a single point.
Mika Häkkinen
One of McLaren’s most respected drivers, Mika Häkkinen, is the only Finnish driver to have won the Drivers’ Championship more than once. Häkkinen joined McLaren as a test driver in 1993 and was given a seat with McLaren in Formula 1 after Michael Andretti left the team that same year. 1995 Mika Häkkinen suffered a severe accident when practising for the 1995 Australian Grand Prix. His life was saved when a doctor had to administer an emergency tracheotomy at the trackside.
Mika went on to win the 1998 and 1999 World Championships and drove for McLaren for another two years. Mika was a much-loved figure in the McLaren team.
McLaren Through The Years
The McLaren F1 team has quite the history in Formula One, with many Drivers’ Championships and Constructors’ Championships to their name. Let’s examine their journey and the most significant moments that impacted the British team.
1968
The McLaren F1 team got its first big win in Belgium thanks to Bruce McLaren, who won the team its first Grand Prix. That same year, McLaren finished second in the constructors’ championship.
1974
McLaren won its first Constructors’ Championship and Drivers’ title, with Emerson Fittipaldi winning.
1976
The McLaren F1 team won its second Driver’ title, this time with British driver James Hunt. McLaren’s Hunt beat Ferrari driver Niki Lauda by one point but failed to take the Constructors’ Championship title.
1984
McLaren teammates Alain Prost and Niki Lauda became quite the dynamic duo, winning 12 out of 16 of the season’s races. Ultimately, Lauda took home the driver’s title, and McLaren gained their second Constructors’ Championship.
1985 – 1986
Between 1985 and 1986, Alain Prost dominated the Formula One track, winning two consecutive Drivers’ Championships for the McLaren F1 team and their third Constructors’ Championship in 1985.
1988 – 1991
Four years of complete McLaren superiority. In 1988, Ayrton Senna and teammate Alain Prost made the season their battle, with Senna winning the Drivers’ title by just three points. 1989 sees roles reverse, with Prost taking home the Drivers’ Championship title and teammate Senna placing second. In 1990, Senna took back the Drivers’ title in a season dominated again by McLaren’s two main drivers. Senna held onto this title in 1991 and won the McLaren F1 team their seventh Constructors’ Championship title and fourth consecutive win.
1998 – 1999
After a few years of no wins, McLaren Mika Hakkinen brings the team back and gives them their last win of the 90s. The Finnish driver won two driver’s championships in a row and helped get McLaren their eighth Constructors’ Championship, the last time McLaren held the title.
2000 – 2001
McLaren drivers Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard had two solid seasons but failed to beat Ferrar’s Schumacher, who dominated Formula 1 for the next five years. The McLaren F1 team finished second in the Constructors’ Championship and Drivers’ Championship during the two seasons.
2005
After a few years of poor finishes, the McLaren F1 team had a successful 2005 season, with ten wins. They are runners-up in the Constructors’ Championship and the Drivers’ Championship, and driver Kimi Raikkonen is second.
2007
The 2007 season ended in controversy for the McLaren F1 team. Although the team lost the Drivers’ Championship to Ferrari, it won the Constructors’ Championship. Shortly after the season ended, McLaren was stripped of its points and heavily fined for benefiting from access to confidential Ferrari data. Teammates Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso came second and third in the standings behind former McLaren driver Raikkonen.
2008
Lewis Hamilton won the McLaren F1 team’s first Drivers’ Championship since 1999. As of 2022, McLaren has yet to win another Drivers’ Championship. Although Hamilton had a very successful season, his points combined with teammate Heikki Kovalainen were insufficient to beat rival Ferrari for the constructors’ crown. McLaren are once again runners-up.
2009-2012
Over the four seasons, McLaren failed to win either a Constructors’ Championship or Drivers’ Championship but managed to stay ahead of rivals Ferrari for three years running. In 2009, the team finished third, and 2010 and 2011 saw McLaren place second behind Red Bull Racing. 2012 saw the team drop down to third below Red Bull and Ferrari.
2019
After a couple of years of poor performances and an engine change from Honda to Renault, McLaren finally has something to show for with duo Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz Jr. At the Brazilian Grand Prix, Spanish driver Carlos Sainz Jr. gave the McLaren F1 team their first podium in five years, finishing in third place.
2020
The McLaren F1 team agreed to use Mercedes power from 2021. The team’s duo is showing their worth against the big three in Formula 1 by placing third in the Constructors standings in the 2020 season.
2021
Rivalry with Ferrari livened up with former teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. signing to the Italian team. McLaren got their first win since 2012, with Daniel Ricciardo ending the nearly 10-year drought. The Aussie driver and teammate Norris had an outstanding race, which resulted in a one-two victory for the team at the Ferrari home race, Monza. It was also the only one-two of the season.
2022
Although the 2022 season is still in progress, the McLaren F1 team hasn’t had the success it hoped for. Rivals Ferrari are proving themselves big contenders in second place at this time in the competition, while McLaren is in fifth place in the constructors’ championship so far.
McLaren Merchandise
For any McLaren fans, there is plenty of merchandise available to kit you out in the colours of the McLarens, papaya and blue. McLaren has its own store online, in which you can buy jumpers, T-shirts, hats, hoodies, and even Lego. The Formula One store also has McLaren racing T-shirts and jackets for sale.