Lando Norris' victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, ahead of the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, gave McLaren sufficient points to win the Constructors' Championship in 2024. With 14 points more than the Scuderia, the British team scores its ninth title, 26 years after the last. A look back at the crowned models of the Woking team.
1974 – M23: The first title
In 1974, it was the M23 which rose to first position in the Manufacturers' Championship. That year, Emerson Fittipaldi left Lotus to join McLaren alongside Denny Hulme. A strategic transfer which allows the arrival of major sponsors and the creation of the Texaco-Marlboro McLaren super-team. Thanks to this new funding, the single-seaters can evolve to become truly competitive on the grid. The Brazilian driver participates in the development of this car designed by Gordon Coppuck after winter testing on the Paul Ricard circuit.
With adjustments to the aerodynamics and work on the suspensions, the car is gaining momentum. With better weight distribution, improved traction in corners, wheelbase variations with the “winklepicker”, or even wider wings which generated more downforce at the front, the M23 is a winning combination. maneuverability, predictability and performance.
Despite a fierce fight against Ferrari, which was also emerging in the discipline, the developments introduced on the single-seater powered by a Ford-Cosworth V8 and the assured driving of Emerson Fittipaldi – who won his second world title in the same season – allow McLaren to secure its first world crown among the Manufacturers.
1984 – MP4/2: First for Prost, second for McLaren
Alain Prost at the German Grand Prix in 1984 © DPPI
McLaren returns to victory, 10 years later with the MP4/2. Designed by John Barnard, the 1984 single-seater is the heir to the MP4/1 E of the previous year: thanks to a better understanding of Porsche's TAG V6 engine, the car could produce 50 horsepower more than its predecessor. Its “Coke bottle” silhouette and redesigned chassis are the result of advances in the wind tunnel which have enabled real optimization of aerodynamics, thus providing remarkable grip.
Despite a lack of reliability in the braking systems and gearbox, the McLaren triumphed in 12 of the 16 races and dominated both Championships. Handicapped by the new FIA regulations on flat bottoms, Alain Prost won seven events and his teammate Niki Lauda the other five. It was the Austrian driver who won the world title, his third in Formula 1, by half a point ahead of the Frenchman who paid the price for a poor wheel attachment in Dijon. In the Constructors' Championship, McLaren won the title with an 86-point lead over Ferrari after an almost perfect season.
1985 – MP4/2B: Good year for the Porsche V6
The MP4/2B at the South African Grand Prix at Kyalami in 1985 © Yann Guichaoua / DPPI
MP4/2B follows in the footsteps of its big sister, champion in 1984. The development work directed by John Barnard focuses on engine issues, notably a new pair of “mirror” turbochargers. The cigarette-packet-decorated single-seater improved further after the winter break, much to the dismay of its opponents: the change in arrangement of the turbos, placed closer to the engines to limit breakage linked to debris, has borne fruit.
While the removal of Michelin tires could have represented a disadvantage, the Woking team quickly adapted to its new rubber supplier, Goodyear. Regulation changes prohibiting rear wing extensions to reduce aerodynamic downforce raised fears of a drop in performance of the car, although this was not notable. In 1985, the British team won a new Manufacturers' title with a 90-point lead and gave France its first World Champion, Alain Prost, who shared the track with Niki Lauda for his last year in F1.
1988 – MP4/4: The last of the turbocharged engine
The McLaren MP4/4 during the German Grand Prix in 1988 © Eric Vargiolu / DPPI
After just a few laps aboard the new 1988 MP4/4, Alain Prost reportedly declared to team principal Ron Dennis his certainty about his victory in the World Championship. While the season is marked by new regulatory changes, supposed to disadvantage the teams which used turbos, the McLaren flies over the championship. Featuring a new Honda V6 engine producing over 700 horsepower, the car won 15 of the season's 16 races.
Ayrton Senna took advantage of this good momentum from the English team to win his first world title, while Alain Prost finished in 2nd place three points behind his teammate. To say goodbye to turbos, banned from the 1989 season, the team won the Manufacturers' title with 199 points, a score three times higher than Ferrari, second in the standings.
1989 – MP4/5: Senna / Prost, the duel at the peak
Ayrton Senna aboard the MP4/5 at Silverstone in 1989 © DPPI
Following the ban on turbos for the 1989 season, McLaren adapted to the new rules requiring 3.5 liter naturally aspirated engines by designing the MP4/5 equipped with the V10 engine designed by Honda under the direction of Neil Oatley. Despite reliability problems, notably linked to lubrication and a transverse gearbox introduced mid-season, McLaren continued to establish itself as the leader of the competition.
Senna and Prost won ten races between them, cementing the team's rise to another Manufacturers' title. On the drivers' side, tensions are intensifying. Between public accusations and a complete breakdown in communication between the pilots, the atmosphere is heavy and internal conflicts are regular. Which did not shake the competitiveness of the team. Ultimately, it was the Frenchman who, with his consistency and fuel management, won the Drivers' title with a lead of 16 points after a season of fratricidal battles.
1990 – MP4/5B: The advent of the Honda V10
Ayrton Senna's MP4/5B in action against Mansell Nigel's Ferrari at the 1990 British Grand Prix © DPPI
After the departure of Alain Prost and technical director Steve Nichols for Ferrari, McLaren must adjust to continue to perform. While Gordon Murray was developing a road car project, Neil Oatley and the rest of the team chose to refine the MP4/5, victorious the previous year, rather than starting from scratch. Powered by an improved Honda V10 engine, the single-seater also features a more durable monocoque, revised suspension geometry and aerodynamic refinements whose settings have proven particularly effective.
Despite damage to the first chassis during pre-season testing, the car showed its potential from the first race in Phoenix (United States), where Ayrton Senna held off Jean Alesi. Thanks to a light and powerful machine, the Brazilian driver, joined by his teammate Gerhard Berger, obtained ten pole positions and six victories in the sixteen races of the 1990 calendar. The Brazilian thus won a second world title, in a controversial climate at Suzuka ahead of his rival and former teammate, Alain Prost. McLaren also secures its third consecutive Constructors' Championship in the face of growing competition from Ferrari and Williams.
1991 – MP4/6: The last coronation of the Senna era
The MP4/6 at the French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours © DPPI F1 / DPPI
With an estimated power of 720 horsepower, the MP4/6 is equipped with a Honda V12 engine, heavier and more fuel-efficient than the previous V10. A new weight which does not convince Senna during tests: the Brazilian fears that these additional horses will not be enough to compete with the improved Renault V10. The appearance of the single-seater does not particularly change, although the aerodynamics have benefited from significant improvement thanks to the expertise of Henri Durand, formerly of Ferrari. Throughout the season, friction and fuel consumption issues must be addressed.
Ayrton Senna is having an impressive season despite the challenges posed by fuel consumption and the technical adjustments required to the engine. He remained undefeated until Monaco, taking four consecutive victories and consolidating McLaren's position at the top of the championship. Once again showing consistency, the Brazilian managed to pocket his third world title at Suzuka while securing the Manufacturers' title for the Woking team, with the help of his teammate, ahead of Williams by 14 points.
1998 – MP4/13: Adrian Newey’s first McLaren
The McLaren MP4/13 during the French Grand Prix in 1998 © DPPI
Despite the late arrival of Adrian Newey at McLaren, the MP4-13 reveals an ingenious design focused on increasing aerodynamic downforce while respecting the new regulations. The innovations made by the engineer attentive to the smallest detail are subtle, but have given formidable efficiency to the single-seater. The switch to Bridgestone tires requires corrections to the geometry and suspension of the car. Equipped with a Mercedes V10, the McLaren stood out from the start of the 1998 season.
On the track, Mika Häkkinen and David Coulthard exploited the potential of the MP4-13, giving McLaren an eighth Constructors' title with 156 points. Häkkinen dominates with six wins and nine pole positions, while Coulthard brings an additional victory. Their consistency and speed allowed a strong comeback for the team which had not won since 1991. During the last race of the season at the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, Häkkinen fought a fierce battle with his main opponent in the season, Michael Schumacher, to win the Drivers' title with a gap of 14 points.
2024 – MCL38: First title in the 21st century
The MCL38 during the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix © ANTONIN VINCENT / DPPI
26 years after the British team's last World Championship title, the MCL38 – designed under the supervision of Andrea Stella – brought McLaren its ninth Constructors' Champion title with 666 points, fourteen more than Ferrari, during the last round of the 2024 season. From the middle of the season, the car becomes one of the best in the field, even managing to raise hopes of an exceptional comeback in the Drivers' Championship with Lando Norris, facing triple title holder Max Verstappen, whose car suffered some disappointments. Officially, the team has not had any retirements during the 24 races of the season, even if Lando Norris did not finish the Austrian Grand Prix (this is not counted as a retirement since the Briton completed more than 90 % of turns.)
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri win their first Formula 1 Grand Prix in 2024, and no longer leave the Top 10 after their time on the Spielberg circuit. Consistent performances from the papaya teammates were not enough to dethrone the now quadruple World Champion, Max Verstappen, crowned in Las Vegas. The British driver still climbs to second place in the Drivers' Championship and his Australian counterpart occupies fourth place.
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