The finale to the 2024 Formula 1 season saw Lando Norris deliver McLaren a triumphant return to the sport's glory. He went on to clinch the McLaren Constructors' Title, the team's first Constructors' Championship since 1998 with a great performance at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
All the Drama at Yas Marina
The Yas Marina circuit was the stage for McLaren's long-awaited redemption. Starting from pole position, Norris had a challenging race in front of him. But with precision, he was able to hold off intense pressure from Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc. The victory sealed McLaren's first Constructors' Title in 26 years, a moment that seemed almost surreal.
"It feels wrong to say McLaren have not won a championship in 26 years," Norris said. "Delivering this for the team has put the biggest smile possible on everyone's face. This is the biggest reward you can give back to everyone who designs the car, builds the car, gets the partners."
The championship was no walkover. McLaren entered the final race just 21 points ahead of Ferrari, having everything to lose. An early setback came when Max Verstappen collided with Norris's teammate Oscar Piastri at the first corner, adding extra pressure to the team's championship hopes. Yet Norris remained composed, driving a race that would go on to secure victory.
From Brink of Collapse to World Champions
McLaren had a pretty challenging journey leading up to this moment. Just two years ago, the team was hanging on the edge of a financial disaster. Zak Brown, McLaren Racing's CEO, admitted they were "definitely on the brink" before they could eventually secure crucial investment that would change the team's fortunes.
Team Principal Andrea Stella was a key figure in the turnaround. When he first joined the team, McLaren's qualifying times were a staggering five seconds behind Mercedes. The team had experienced serious trouble, coming close to bankruptcy and at times being the slowest on the grid. Just 20 months before this triumph, such a victory would have seemed impossible to imagine.
Even Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff knew how improbable McLaren's success would be. He noted that if someone had suggested this two years ago, people would have thought they were "living on another planet."
A New Era for Formula 1's Legendary Team
The F1 Constructors' Championship was a sweet victory for Norris who has always believed in the team's potential. "The one thing I've learned this year is probably to believe in myself a bit more," he said. With four race wins this season, Norris has proven himself as important to McLaren's resurgence.
An interesting note—McLaren remains Formula 1's second-longest-lived team and the second most successful in terms of race victories. They are also trailing only Ferrari. The championship victory ends a 26-year drought that spans Norris's entire lifetime, making the moment even more poetic.
For Norris, the McLaren Constructors' Title is a landmark moment that ushers in a potential new era of dominance in Formula 1.
"Next year is hopefully a year where I can go in and decide before the first race we're going to fight for a championship," Norris said.