McLaren can now turn its attention fully to the title fight between its two drivers.
The team wrapped up its second straight constructors’ title in Sundays Singapore Grand Prix. Lando Norris finished third behind race winner George Russell and Max Verstappen in second while Oscar Piastri finished fourth.
McLaren had a very straightforward clinching scenario entering Sundays race with 623 team points to Mercedes 290 and Ferraris 286. All McLaren needed to do was leave Singapore with a 303-point advantage over second place to win the title. The team scored 27 points while Mercedes got 35 points with Kimi Antonelli finishing fifth.
Its the first time McLaren has won consecutive constructors’ titles since the team won four in a row from 1988 through 1991. Last years title was the teams first since 1998, when Mikka Hakkinen dominated F1 with eight wins.
No McLaren driver won the title last year, however. Verstappen held off Norris for his fourth straight championship. This year, McLaren should have a driver with a title. Its just a question of who as the team has been incredibly dominant all season.
Norris now trails Piastri in the standings by 22 points. Piastri leads the series with seven wins while Norris has five wins. Verstappen still lurks in third, but is 41 points behind Norris. Hed need to win nearly all of the next six races and three sprints with both Piastri and Norris having issues to have a shot at a fifth straight title.
Russell won the race from pole and was never seriously challenged for the win. He immediately drove away from Verstappen and everyone else at the start and had a 10-second lead before he pitted for tires approximately a third of the way through the race. Verstappen cut into Russell’s lead thanks to an earlier pit stop, but Russell’s fresher tires eventually stretched the lead back out to a comfortable margin despite late-race lapped traffic.
1. George Russell, Mercedes
2. Max Verstappen, Red Bull
3. Lando Norris, McLaren
4. Oscar Piastri, McLaren
5. Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
6. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
7. Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
8. Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
9. Ollie Bearman, Haas
10. Isack Hadjar, RB
11. Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull
12. Carlos Sainz, Williams
13. Franco Colapinto, Alpine
14. Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
15. Alex Albon, Williams
16. Liam Lawson, RB
17. Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber
18. Esteban Ocon, Haas
19. Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber
20. Pierre Gasly, Alpine