McLaren facts for kids
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Full name | McLaren Formula 1 Team |
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Base | McLaren Technology Centre Woking, Surrey, England |
Team principal(s) | Andrea Stella (Team Principal) Zak Brown (Chief Executive Officer) |
Technical management | Rob Marshall (Chief Designer) Neil Houldey (Technical Director, Engineering) Peter Prodromou (Technical Director, Aerodynamics) Mark Temple (Technical Director, Performance) |
Founder(s) | Bruce McLaren |
Website | mclaren.com/racing-formula-1 |
Formula One World Championship career | |
First entry | 1966 Monaco Grand Prix |
Last entry | 2019 Monaco Grand Prix |
Races entered | 884 (880 starts) |
Engines | Ford, Serenissima, BRM, Alfa Romeo, TAG, Honda, Peugeot, Mercedes, Renault |
Constructors' Championships |
9 (1974, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 2024) |
Drivers' Championships |
12 (1974, 1976, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2008) |
Race victories | 182 |
Podiums | 488 |
Points | 5555.5 |
Pole positions | 155 |
Fastest laps | 158 |
2024 position | 1st (666 pts) |
McLaren Racing Limited is a British motor racing team. It is based in Woking, England. The team is part of the McLaren Group. McLaren is famous for its Formula One cars. It is the second oldest active team in Formula One. It is also the second most successful team after Ferrari. McLaren has won 182 races. They have also won 12 Drivers' Championships and nine Constructors' Championships.
McLaren has also raced in American open-wheel series. They have won the Canadian-American Challenge Cup in sports car racing. McLaren is one of only three teams to achieve the Triple Crown of Motorsport. This means they won the Indianapolis 500, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Monaco Grand Prix.
The team was started in 1963 by Bruce McLaren from New Zealand. They won their first Grand Prix in 1968. Their biggest early success was in Can-Am racing. They dominated this series from 1967 to 1971. McLaren cars also won the Indianapolis 500 in 1972, 1974, and 1976.
Bruce McLaren sadly died in a testing accident in 1970. Teddy Mayer then took over the team. He led them to their first Formula One Constructors' Championship in 1974. Emerson Fittipaldi and James Hunt won Drivers' Championships in 1974 and 1976. In 1974, the team also started a long partnership with the Marlboro brand.
In 1981, McLaren joined with Ron Dennis's Project Four Racing. Dennis became the team principal. He then bought out the original McLaren owners. This started McLaren's most successful period. With Porsche and Honda engines, drivers like Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, and Ayrton Senna won seven Drivers' Championships. The team also won six Constructors' Championships. Prost and Senna were especially dominant in 1988. They won all but one race that year. Their rivalry became very intense, and Prost later moved to Ferrari. The Williams team was their main rival during this time.
By the mid-1990s, Honda left Formula One. Senna also moved to Williams. McLaren then went three seasons without a win. With Mercedes-Benz engines and West sponsorship, they won more championships in 1998 and 1999 with Mika Häkkinen. In the 2000s, they were often at the front. Lewis Hamilton won their most recent drivers' title in 2008.
Ron Dennis stepped down as team principal in 2009. Martin Whitmarsh took over. After a difficult 2013 season, Whitmarsh was replaced. McLaren announced in 2013 that they would use Honda engines again from 2015. They raced as McLaren Honda for the first time since 1992 at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix. In 2017, McLaren switched to Renault engines for 2018-2020. Since 2021, McLaren has been using Mercedes-Benz engines. They won their ninth Constructors' Championship in 2024. This was their first since 1998. McLaren is now tied with Williams for the second-most Constructors' Championships.
McLaren returned to the Indianapolis 500 in 2017. They supported Andretti Autosport for Fernando Alonso. In 2019, they entered independently. In August 2019, McLaren announced they would join with Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. They would race the full IndyCar Series from 2020. This team is called Arrow McLaren SP. McLaren bought 75% of this team in 2021. McLaren also joined the electric off-road racing series Extreme E from 2022 to 2024. They also entered Formula E in the 2022–23 season.
Contents
- Team History: How McLaren Started
- Formula One Racing: The Journey
- Other Racing Series
- Team Characteristics
- Sponsorship, Naming, and Colors
- Race Cars
- Racing Results
- See also
Team History: How McLaren Started

Bruce McLaren Motor Racing was founded in 1963. Bruce McLaren was a driver for the Cooper Formula One team. He had won three Grand Prix races. He also finished second in the 1960 World Championship. Bruce wanted to race in the Tasman Series in Australia and New Zealand. His boss at Cooper wanted to use smaller engines. So, Bruce decided to start his own team. He wanted to race with his own custom-built Cooper cars.
Bruce won the 1964 Tasman Series. Sadly, his teammate Timmy Mayer died in practice for the last race. Bruce then asked Teddy Mayer (Timmy's brother) for help. Teddy Mayer later became the biggest owner of Bruce McLaren Motor Racing.
The team first operated in Feltham, England (1963-1964). Then they moved to Colnbrook (1965-1981). Since 1981, they have been in Woking, England. Bruce never used the traditional British racing green color on his cars. Instead, his first Formula One car in 1966 was white with a green stripe. This was for a movie called Grand Prix.
Bruce continued to drive for Cooper in Grands Prix. But he felt Cooper's performance was declining. So, he decided to race his own cars from 1966.
Formula One Racing: The Journey
Early Years (1966–1967)


McLaren's first Grand Prix race was in 1966 at Monaco. Only Ferrari is an older team in Formula One. Bruce McLaren's race ended early due to an oil leak. The 1966 car, the M2B, had engine problems. They used Ford and Serenissima engines. Both were not powerful enough and broke down often.
In 1967, Bruce tried a BRM V12 engine. But there were delays. So, they used a smaller car called the M4B with a BRM V8. Later, they built the M5A for the V12. Neither car brought much success. Their best finish was fourth place at Monaco.
Ford-Cosworth Engines (1968–1982)
For 1968, Bruce McLaren was joined by Denny Hulme. Hulme was the 1967 champion and also from New Zealand. He was already racing for McLaren in Can-Am. Their new car, the M7A, used the new and powerful DFV engine. This engine would be used by McLaren until 1983.
The team's performance greatly improved. Bruce won his first championship race at the 1968 Belgian Grand Prix. Hulme also won the Italian and Canadian Grands Prix that year. This helped McLaren finish second in the Constructors' Championship. In 1969, Bruce had three more podium finishes. Hulme won the last race of 1969 in Mexico. McLaren also tried a four-wheel drive car, the M9A, but it was difficult to drive.
The 1970 season started well with second places for Hulme and Bruce. But in June, Bruce was killed in a crash while testing a new Can-Am car. After his death, Teddy Mayer took over the team. Hulme continued racing with Dan Gurney and Peter Gethin. Hulme won a Grand Prix in 1972 in South Africa. He and Peter Revson had ten other podium finishes. The team finished third in the Constructors' Championship. McLaren also gave Jody Scheckter his first Formula One race in 1972.

The McLaren M23 was the new car for 1973. It was used for four years. Hulme won in Sweden. Revson won his only Grand Prix races in Britain and Canada. In 1974, Emerson Fittipaldi joined McLaren. He had been world champion with Lotus. Hulme won the first race in Argentina. Fittipaldi won in Brazil, Belgium, and Canada. He won the Drivers' Championship by three points. With Hulme and Mike Hailwood, McLaren also won their first Constructors' Championship. The 1975 season was not as good. Fittipaldi finished second in the championship.
At the end of 1975, Fittipaldi left McLaren. James Hunt joined the team. In 1976, Niki Lauda was strong in his Ferrari. Hunt won races in Spain and France. Lauda then had a bad crash in Germany and missed two races. Hunt won four more Grands Prix. He was three points behind Lauda before the last race in Japan. It rained heavily, and Lauda retired due to safety concerns. Hunt finished third and won the Drivers' Championship. McLaren, however, lost the Constructors' Championship to Ferrari.
In 1977, the M23 was slowly replaced by the M26. Hunt won three races that year. But Lauda and Ferrari were too strong. McLaren finished third in the Constructors' Championship. After that, results got worse. In 1979, the M28 car was a "disaster." The M29 did not help much. The team finished eighth that year.


The 1980s started slowly. Alain Prost joined, but he and John Watson rarely scored points. McLaren then merged with Ron Dennis's Project Four team. Dennis had a designer named John Barnard. Barnard had an idea for a new car made from carbon-fibre. This was different from the usual aluminium alloy. With the merger, they had enough money to build it. This car was the McLaren MP4 (later MP4/1). In 1981, Watson won the British Grand Prix with it. McLaren moved to a new base in Woking. Dennis took full control of the team by 1982.
TAG-Porsche and Honda Engines (1983–1992)
In the early 1980s, other teams used 1.5-litre turbocharged engines. McLaren needed one too. Dennis convinced Techniques d'Avant Garde (TAG) to fund Porsche-built turbo engines. These engines were branded as TAG. Mansour Ojjeh, TAG's founder, later became a McLaren owner. In 1982, Niki Lauda came out of retirement to drive for McLaren. He and Watson each won two races. McLaren was second in the constructors' championship. In 1983, Watson won again in the United States.
Prost returned to McLaren in 1984. With the new TAG engines, McLaren dominated. They won 12 races. Lauda won the Drivers' Championship by half a point over Prost. This was the closest margin ever. McLaren-TAG cars were strong again in 1985. They won their third Constructors' Championship. Prost won the Drivers' Championship. In 1986, Williams with their Honda engine became strong rivals. Prost won his second title in a row. He was the first driver to do this since Jack Brabham in 1959 and 1960. In 1987, the McLaren car and TAG engine could not match Williams-Honda.
For 1988, Honda switched to McLaren. Dennis signed Ayrton Senna to drive with Prost. Even with new rules reducing engine power, Honda used a turbocharged engine. Senna and Prost had a season-long battle in the MP4/4. They won 15 of 16 races. Senna won the title at the Japanese Grand Prix.
In 1989, turbos were banned. Honda supplied a new 3.5-L naturally aspirated V10 engine. McLaren won both titles again with the MP4/5. But the relationship between Prost and Senna got worse. Prost felt Senna broke an agreement at the San Marino Grand Prix. Prost announced he would leave for Ferrari. The Drivers' Championship was decided in Japan again. Senna and Prost crashed, and Prost won the title.


In 1990, Ferrari pushed McLaren harder. McLaren brought in Gerhard Berger. Prost and Senna again fought for the Drivers' Championship. Senna won the title after colliding with Prost in Japan. McLaren also won the Constructors' Championship. 1991 was another winning year for McLaren and Senna. Williams was their closest rival. By 1992, Williams with their advanced FW14B car overtook McLaren. They ended McLaren's four-year winning streak.
Ford, Lamborghini, and Peugeot Engines (1993–1994)
Honda left Formula One at the end of 1992. McLaren needed a new engine. They used customer Ford engines for 1993. Senna won five races, including a record sixth victory at Monaco. His teammate, Michael Andretti, struggled. He was replaced by Mika Häkkinen for the last three races. Williams won both titles. Senna then signed with Williams for 1994.
McLaren tested a Lamborghini V12 engine for 1994. But they chose to use full-works Peugeot engines. The MP4/9 was driven by Häkkinen and Martin Brundle. They had eight podiums but no wins. Peugeot was dropped after one year due to engine failures. McLaren then switched to Mercedes-Benz engines.
Mercedes Partnership (1995–2014)
1995–2009: Mercedes Works Partnership
For 1995, McLaren partnered with Mercedes-Benz. Mercedes provided special engines built by Ilmor Engineering. They also gave financial support and official team vehicles. The MP4/10 car was not a front-runner. Nigel Mansell joined but left after two races. Mark Blundell took his place.
In 1996, Williams dominated. McLaren, with David Coulthard and Häkkinen, went a third year without a win. In 1997, Coulthard won the first race in Australia. Häkkinen and Coulthard each won another race. Adrian Newey, a top designer, joined the team from Williams. The car was faster, but unreliable. Marlboro moved its sponsorship to Ferrari. McLaren then got a new sponsor, West cigarettes. Their cars changed from red and white to silver, grey, white, and red. This color scheme lasted for twenty years.
With Newey's design and new rules in 1998, McLaren could challenge for the championship. Williams lost their Renault engines. Häkkinen and Coulthard won five of the first six races. Ferrari and Michael Schumacher were their main rivals. Häkkinen won the Drivers' Championship. McLaren also won the Constructors' Championship. Häkkinen won his second Drivers' Championship in 1999. But the team lost the constructors' title to Ferrari due to driver errors and mechanical problems.

In 2000, McLaren won seven races. But Ferrari and Schumacher won both championships. McLaren's performance then declined. Ferrari became very dominant. In 2001, Häkkinen retired. Kimi Räikkönen took his place. In 2002, Coulthard won McLaren's only race at Monaco. Ferrari won 15 races that season.
2003 started well with wins for Coulthard and Räikkönen. But their new car, the MP4-18, had problems. They had to keep using an older car. Räikkönen still fought for the championship until the last race. He lost by two points. In 2004, the MP4-19 was not good. It was replaced by the MP4-19B mid-season. Räikkönen won their only race in Belgium. McLaren finished fifth in the Constructors' Championship, their worst since 1983.
Coulthard left in 2005. Juan Pablo Montoya replaced him. This was McLaren's most successful season in years. He and Räikkönen won ten races. But the car had reliability issues. This cost Räikkönen the championship. Fernando Alonso and Renault won both titles.

In 2006, McLaren did not win any races. This was the first time in ten years. Montoya left the team after a crash. Test driver Pedro de la Rosa finished the season. Räikkönen also left for Ferrari.

In 2007, McLaren became competitive again. Fernando Alonso raced with new driver Lewis Hamilton. They each won four races. But there were tensions in the team. Alonso struggled with Hamilton's speed. At the Hungarian Grand Prix, Alonso was penalized for blocking Hamilton. The team was also investigated for having Ferrari's car designs. McLaren was found guilty and fined $100 million. They were excluded from the Constructors' Championship. Hamilton led the Drivers' Championship before the last race. But Räikkönen won the race and the title by one point. Alonso left McLaren in November. Heikki Kovalainen joined Hamilton.

In 2008, Hamilton fought with Ferrari's Felipe Massa and Räikkönen. Hamilton won five times. He won his first Drivers' Championship at the last corner of the last lap in Brazil. Kovalainen finished seventh, so Ferrari won the constructors' title.
Before 2009, Dennis retired as team principal. Martin Whitmarsh took over. The 2009 season started badly. The MP4-24 car was slow. The team also got a suspended ban for misleading race officials. Despite problems, Hamilton won races in Hungary and Singapore.
2010–2014: Customer Mercedes Engines
Free Engines Era


For 2010, McLaren was no longer the main Mercedes team. Mercedes bought the Brawn team. McLaren still got Mercedes engines, but as a customer. Mercedes also sold its shares in McLaren. McLaren signed 2009 champion Jenson Button to race with Hamilton. Button won twice, and Hamilton won three times. But Red Bull's car was faster.
Hamilton and Button stayed in 2011. Hamilton won three races, and Button also won three. Button finished second in the Drivers' Championship. McLaren was second in the Constructors' Championship. Hamilton was involved in several incidents with other drivers that season.
In 2012, McLaren won the first race in Australia. Hamilton won in Canada. But by mid-season, the cars struggled. They finished eighth and tenth at their home race in Silverstone. Red Bull and Ferrari dominated the championships. McLaren also had reliability problems. This cost them many points.
Pay Lease Customer Engines Era
Sergio Pérez replaced Hamilton for 2013. Hamilton moved to Mercedes. From 2013 to 2014, McLaren's Mercedes connection was weaker. Mercedes focused on its own team. McLaren had to pay for their engines. The 2013 car, the MP4-28, struggled. McLaren did not get any podium finishes for the first time since 1980.
Kevin Magnussen replaced Pérez for 2014. Ron Dennis returned as CEO. McLaren launched their 2014 car, the MP4-29. It was not a successful year. Their best result was in Australia. Magnussen finished second, and Button finished third. Button also finished fourth in Canada, Britain, and Russia.
Return to Honda Engines (2015–2017)

For 2015, McLaren ended their Mercedes engine deal. They restarted their partnership with Honda. Honda would supply engines and work with the team. Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button were the drivers. Kevin Magnussen became a test driver. Alonso had a concussion in testing. Magnussen replaced him for the first race in Australia. Button finished last of the cars that completed the race. The Honda engine was unreliable and not powerful enough. Button scored the team's first points in Monaco. Alonso scored his first point three races later.
The 2015 Hungarian Grand Prix was their best result. Alonso finished fifth, and Button finished ninth. McLaren finished ninth in the constructors' standings with 27 points. This was McLaren's worst performance since 1980.

McLaren kept Alonso and Button for 2016. The second year with Honda was better. The team often challenged for top 10 positions. The season started with a big crash for Alonso in Australia. He missed the next race in Bahrain. Reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne replaced him. Vandoorne scored the team's first point of the season. McLaren scored points more regularly. Alonso finished fifth in Monaco. Button finished ninth. Button had his best result in Austria, finishing sixth. Alonso finished seventh in Belgium. Alonso and Button finished 10th and 15th in the championship. The team finished sixth in the Constructors' Championship. Jenson Button took a break from Formula One for 2017. He later retired. Vandoorne became Alonso's new teammate.
In February 2017, McLaren signed Lando Norris to their Young Driver Programme.
Alonso did not race in the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix. He competed in the Indianapolis 500. Jenson Button returned for that one race. McLaren finished 2017 in ninth place with 30 points.
Renault Engines (2018–2020)

McLaren announced they would leave Honda at the end of 2017. They signed a three-year deal for Renault engines. Team boss Éric Boullier called their performance from 2015 to 2017 a "disaster." 2018 was the first season with Renault engines. Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne stayed as drivers. Lando Norris became the test and reserve driver.
Alonso finished fifth at the 2018 Australian Grand Prix. McLaren had a good start with points in the first four races. But they only scored 22 points in the next 16 races. Alonso announced he would not race in Formula One in 2019. Carlos Sainz Jr. was signed as his replacement. Vandoorne also left the team. Lando Norris was promoted to replace him in 2019. McLaren struggled with performance in 2018. They finished sixth in the Constructors' Championship.

The 2019 season was much better for McLaren. They became the best team behind Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull. Sainz got the team's first podium since 2014 at the Brazilian Grand Prix. He finished third after a penalty to Lewis Hamilton. McLaren finished fourth in the season with 145 points. This was their best result since 2014.
McLaren kept Norris and Sainz for 2020. The season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Norris achieved his first podium in Austria, finishing third. Sainz got the team's second podium in Italy, finishing second. The team finished third in the constructors' championship with 202 points. Sainz was sixth in the drivers' championship, and Norris was ninth.
Return to Mercedes Engines (2021–Present)

McLaren used Mercedes engines again in 2021. This was after their Renault deal ended. McLaren had worked with Mercedes before from 1995 to 2014. This time, it was a customer role. Daniel Ricciardo joined from Renault to partner Lando Norris. Carlos Sainz Jr. moved to Ferrari. In the first nine races, McLaren got three podiums with Mercedes power. All were from Norris in Italy, Monaco, and Austria.

At the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, Ricciardo won his first race since 2018. It was McLaren's first win since 2012. Norris finished second, giving McLaren their first one-two finish since 2010. Norris got the team's first pole position in the hybrid era at the Russian Grand Prix. But he finished seventh due to sudden weather changes. McLaren finished fourth in the constructors' championship behind Ferrari.
For 2022, McLaren kept Norris and Ricciardo. Ricciardo tested positive for COVID-19 before testing. Norris had to do all the testing. Both drivers struggled at the first race in Bahrain. Norris finished third at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. McLaren had their first double retirement since 2017 in São Paulo. Norris had an electrical fault, and Ricciardo crashed. Ricciardo struggled compared to Norris. His contract for 2023 was ended by mutual agreement. Oscar Piastri replaced Ricciardo for 2023. McLaren finished fifth in the constructors' championship behind Alpine.

The 2023 season celebrated McLaren's 60th anniversary. The car was named the MCL60. The season started with many problems. McLaren made some organizational changes. Norris and Piastri scored points in Australia. Piastri got his first Formula One points. McLaren's performance improved in the middle of the season. They introduced upgrades in Austria and Singapore. The upgrades were very successful. Norris got McLaren's first podium since 2021. Piastri got his first career podium in Japan. He also won the sprint race in Qatar. This was McLaren's first sprint race win. In Qatar, McLaren also set a record for the fastest pit stop (1.80 seconds). McLaren extended their Mercedes engine deal until 2030. After a difficult start, McLaren finished fourth in the Constructors' Championship. Norris was sixth, and Piastri was ninth in the drivers' championship.
2024: Constructors' Champion

The success of the MCL60 helped McLaren for the 2024 season. They kept Norris and Piastri. The team hired David Sanchez from Ferrari to lead development. The 2024 car was called the MCL38. At the start of the season, the MCL38 was the third-fastest car. Ferrari's car was better at managing tires. But the MCL38 was excellent in qualifying.
McLaren introduced a big upgrade package for the Miami Grand Prix. Norris won the race, his first Formula One victory. The upgrade was more successful than expected. By the British Grand Prix, the MCL38 was the fastest car. They had a one-two finish in Hungary, their first since 2021. Another upgrade for the Dutch Grand Prix improved performance even more. Norris won by over 27 seconds. Piastri's win in Azerbaijan moved McLaren to first in the World Constructors' Championship. This was the first time since 2014 that McLaren led the championship. In Abu Dhabi, Norris finished first. McLaren won their first World Constructors' Championship since 1998.

McLaren won the Constructors' Championship in 2024. This meant they had less testing time in 2025. But they were favorites to defend their title. The MCL39 car was overseen by Rob Marshall. It had many technical improvements. The MCL39 immediately showed an advantage. It has taken consistent podiums and won nine of twelve races so far in 2025. Norris has won four races, and Piastri has won five. They have had five one-two finishes.
Other Racing Series
Can-Am Racing
McLaren's first car designed and built by Bruce McLaren Motor Racing was the M1. It was a sports car. Bruce McLaren drove it to immediate success in 1964. For the Can-Am Series, which started in 1966, McLaren created the M3. They did not win any races that year.
In 1967, Robin Herd designed the M6A. It was powered by a Chevrolet V8 engine. This car was the first to be painted in McLaren orange. With Denny Hulme as Bruce's teammate, they won five of six races. Bruce won the championship. This set the pattern for the next four years. In 1968, they used the new M8 car and won four races. Hulme won the championship. In 1969, McLaren dominated completely. They won all 11 races with the M8B. Hulme won five, and Bruce won six and the Drivers' Championship. McLaren's success in Can-Am brought them money. This helped fund their Formula One program.
When Bruce died testing the 1970 M8D, Dan Gurney and then Peter Gethin replaced him. Hulme won six races and the championship. In 1971, the team won eight races. Peter Revson took the title. In 1972, Hulme won three Can-Am races. But the McLaren M20 was beaten by Porsche. McLaren decided to leave Can-Am at the end of 1972. They wanted to focus only on open-wheel racing. McLaren was the most successful constructor in Can-Am with 43 wins.
American Open-Wheel Racing
USAC (1970–1979)
McLaren first raced in the United States Auto Club's (USAC) Indianapolis 500 in 1970. Their tire supplier, Goodyear, encouraged them. Bruce, Chris Amon, and Denny Hulme entered. But Amon withdrew, and Hulme was burned. Peter Revson and Carl Williams took their places. Revson retired, and Williams finished seventh. The team also raced in other USAC events.
For 1971, they had a new car, the M16. Driver Mark Donohue said it "obsoleted every other car." Revson qualified on pole and finished second in the 1971 Indianapolis 500. In 1972, Donohue won in a private M16B. In 1973, Johnny Rutherford joined the team. He qualified on pole but finished ninth. McLaren won their first Indianapolis 500 in 1974 with Rutherford. The McLaren and Rutherford team was second in 1975 and won again in 1976. McLaren left USAC racing at the end of 1979 to focus on Formula One.
IndyCar Series
2017 and 2019 Indianapolis 500
On April 12, 2017, McLaren announced they would race in the 2017 Indianapolis 500. Their Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso would drive a Honda-powered McLaren-branded Andretti Autosport IndyCar. Alonso started fifth and led 27 laps. But his Honda engine failed with 21 laps left. He finished 24th. Alonso was praised for his strong debut.
On November 10, 2018, McLaren announced they would race in the 2019 Indianapolis 500 with Fernando Alonso and Chevrolet engines. But after mechanical problems and a crash, the team failed to qualify for the race.
Full Season (2020–Present)
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Owner(s) | McLaren Racing Limited |
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Principal(s) | Zak Brown (Chairman) Brian Barnhart (General Manager) Tony Kanaan (Team Principal) |
Base | Indianapolis, Indiana, United States |
Series | IndyCar Series |
Race drivers | ![]() 6. ![]() 7. ![]() |
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Sponsors | Arrow Electronics, Lucas Oil, Vuse and NTT Data |
Manufacturer | Chevrolet |
Career | |
Debut | 2020 Genesys 300 |
Latest race | 2021 Honda Indy 200 (Mid-Ohio) |
Race victories | 6 |
Pole positions | 9 |
In August 2019, McLaren announced they would race full-time in the 2020 IndyCar Series. They partnered with Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports to form Arrow McLaren SP.
Zak Brown said McLaren joined IndyCar to promote the McLaren brand. They also wanted to use McLaren's engineering skills in a new racing series. Brown chose Schmidt Peterson Motorsports because their past Indy 500 efforts were not successful. Also, the new ownership of IndyCar by Penske Entertainment gave McLaren more confidence.
In August 2021, McLaren Racing bought a majority share in the IndyCar Team. McLaren Racing took a 75% share by the end of the year.
For the 2022 IndyCar Series, Pato O'Ward and Felix Rosenqvist returned as full-time drivers. Juan Pablo Montoya drove a third car part-time. O'Ward and Rosenqvist finished second and fourth in the Indianapolis 500. This was the team's best Indy 500 finish. The team signed Alexander Rossi to drive a third full-time car from 2023.
For 2023, Alexander Rossi drove a third full-time car. The team also made changes to its management. For McLaren's 60th anniversary, the team used special liveries for the 2023 Indianapolis 500. These liveries celebrated McLaren's Triple Crown wins. The cars were painted like the McLaren M16C/D (1974 Indy 500 winner), the McLaren MP4/2 (1984 Monaco Grand Prix winner), and the McLaren F1 GTR (1995 24 Hours of Le Mans winner).
For 2024, Rosenqvist moved to another team. David Malukas replaced him. But Malukas injured his wrist and missed the start of the season. He was replaced by Théo Pourchaire.
Electric Racing
Neom is McLaren's main partner in electric motorsport. The team is called NEOM McLaren Electric Racing.
Extreme E (2022–2024)
In June 2021, McLaren announced they would enter Extreme E in 2022. They used existing staff from outside Formula One. Tanner Foust and Emma Gilmour were the drivers. Gilmour became the first woman factory driver for McLaren. The team was first called McLaren XE. It was later renamed NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team. The team got its first podium by finishing second in the Energy X-Prix. Gilmour became the first woman podium winner for McLaren. The team finished fifth in the Team's Championship.
McLaren kept Foust and Gilmour for 2023. They got their second podium in the Hydro X-Prix. In the Island X-Prix II, Gilmour crashed and was injured. Tamara Molinaro replaced her. McLaren withdrew from a race for the first time due to car damage. For the last two rounds, Hedda Hosås replaced Gilmour. McLaren finished eighth in the Team's Championship. Foust and Gilmour left the team.
For 2024, McLaren announced new drivers: Cristina Gutiérrez and Mattias Ekström. They finished second in the Desert X-Prix. Extreme E announced that the remaining races for 2024 were cancelled. This was because the series is changing to Extreme H for 2025.
Formula E (2022–2025)
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Base | McLaren Technology Centre Woking, Surrey, England Bicester Motion Bicester, Oxfordshire, England |
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Current series | Formula E |
Noted drivers | ![]() ![]() |
Current drivers | ![]() 8. ![]() |
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In May 2022, McLaren announced they bought the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team. They debuted in the 2022–23 season as NEOM McLaren Formula E Team. They used Nissan's electric powertrain. René Rast and Jake Hughes were the drivers. McLaren's first ePrix was in Mexico City. Hughes finished fifth. McLaren achieved milestones at the Diriyah ePrix. Hughes got McLaren's first pole position in Formula E. Rast finished third, giving McLaren their first podium. Hughes got another pole position in Monaco. McLaren finished eighth in the Teams' Championship.
In August 2023, Hughes re-signed. Rast left and was replaced by Sam Bird for the 2023–24 season. Bird won McLaren's first electric race victory at the São Paulo ePrix. Bird injured his hand in Monaco. Reserve driver Taylor Barnard replaced him. Barnard finished 14th in his first race. He became the youngest driver and first teenager to start an ePrix. Barnard continued to drive for Bird in Berlin. He finished tenth in Race 1, becoming the youngest point scorer. Hughes left McLaren at the end of the season. Barnard was promoted to full-time driver for the 2024–25 season.
At the São Paulo ePrix in December 2024, Barnard got his first podium. He finished third and became the youngest podium finisher. He also got his first pole position in Jeddah, becoming the youngest polesitter. He finished second in that race.
McLaren announced they will leave Formula E at the end of the 2024–25 season. They want to focus on developing hypercars for the World Endurance Championship.
Endurance Racing
World Endurance Championship (2027 onwards)
In 2021, McLaren considered entering the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. On June 19, 2024, CEO Zak Brown announced McLaren plans to enter the Hypercar class in WEC by 2027. On April 10, 2025, McLaren confirmed they will enter WEC in the Hypercar class from the 2027 season. They will partner with United Autosports and Dallara. The team will be called McLaren United AS.
Customer Racing
Besides their own team, McLaren has built many racing cars for other teams. In their early years, they built cars for Formula Two, hillclimbing, Formula 5000, and sports car races. They even hired another company, Trojan, to build some cars. In Can-Am, Trojan built customer versions of McLaren cars. Old McLaren cars were also sold to private teams. Author Mark Hughes says "over 220" McLarens were built by Trojan. Many teams used McLarens in USAC and Formula One in the 1960s and 1970s.
In the mid-1990s, McLaren's sister company, McLaren Cars, built a racing version of their F1 road car. This was the F1 GTR. It won the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans and the BPR Global GT Series in 1995 and 1996. In 2011, a GT3 version of the MP4-12C road car was developed. It debuted in 2012. The MP4-12C was followed by the McLaren 650S and then the McLaren 720S for GT3 racing. A GT4 version of the McLaren 570S was also made.
In 2022, McLaren Automotive announced a new GT4 model based on the McLaren Artura. They also plan a one-make racing series for it.
In October 2023, McLaren Automotive announced they would race in the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans. They will use United Autosports as their customer team. They will use the McLaren 720S GT3 Evo. McLaren Automotive also confirmed they will enter the 2024 IMSA SportsCar Championship.
Team Characteristics
McLaren Racing is mostly owned by the McLaren Group. American investors MSP Sports Capital bought 15% of the team in 2020, increasing to 33% in 2022.
Ownership and Management

After Bruce McLaren died, Teddy Mayer took over. In 1981, McLaren merged with Ron Dennis' Project Four Racing. Dennis became team principal. He later bought out the original McLaren owners. Dennis offered Mansour Ojjeh to buy 50% of the team in 1983. McLaren became a joint venture with Ojjeh's TAG Group. In 2000, DaimlerChrysler (now Daimler AG) bought 40% of the TAG McLaren Group. Dennis and Ojjeh each kept 30%. They each sold half their shares to the Mumtalakat Holding Company (Bahrain's wealth fund) in 2007. Daimler bought the Brawn GP team in 2009. Their McLaren shares were sold back to Mumtalakat, Dennis, and Ojjeh in 2010.
Dennis retired as McLaren CEO and team principal in 2009. Martin Whitmarsh took over. But after a difficult 2013 season, Dennis returned in January 2014. Whitmarsh left later that year. Dennis wanted to take full control of the company. But his relationship with Ojjeh had worsened. In 2016, Ojjeh forced Dennis out as CEO. Dennis sold his remaining shares in 2017.
After Dennis returned in 2014, he removed the team principal role. Éric Boullier became racing director. After Dennis left, Zak Brown became Group executive director. His role focused on the F1 team. In 2018, Brown was appointed McLaren Racing CEO. Boullier resigned, and his role was split between Gil de Ferran and Andrea Stella. In May 2019, Andreas Seidl became the new team principal. In December 2022, Seidl left McLaren. Stella was promoted to team principal.
Since 2004, the team has been based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, England. It has a wind tunnel and a very advanced driving simulator. The team also has the McLaren Young Driver Programme, which helps young drivers.
Politics in Racing
McLaren has sometimes had problems with the FIA, the sport's governing body. They also had issues with the commercial rights holders. In the early 1980s, McLaren and other teams fought with FISA (the old FIA) over control of the sport. This was called the FISA-FOCA war. A separate racing series was threatened. It was resolved by a money-sharing deal called the Concorde Agreement.
New Concorde Agreements were signed in 1987 and 1992. In 1996, McLaren again argued about a new agreement. A new 10-year agreement was signed in 1998. Similar arguments happened in the mid-2000s. McLaren and Mercedes threatened to start a rival series. Another Concorde Agreement was signed in 2009.
In 2007, McLaren was involved in a spy controversy. Their chief designer got secret technical information from Ferrari. McLaren was banned from the Constructors' Championship for one year. They were also fined $100 million. McLaren has been less openly hostile in recent agreements.
Sponsorship, Naming, and Colors

McLaren's Formula One team was first called Bruce McLaren Motor Racing. Their first cars were white and green for the movie Grand Prix. From 1968 to 1971, the team used an orange design. This color was also on their Indy 500 and Can-Am cars.
In 1972, Yardley of London became McLaren's first main sponsor. The team was called Yardley Team McLaren. The cars became mostly white. In 1974, Philip Morris joined as a sponsor with their Marlboro cigarette brand. Marlboro's red-and-white colors lasted until 1996. This was the longest-running Formula One sponsorship at the time.
In 1997, Marlboro moved to Ferrari. West cigarettes replaced them as sponsor. The team became West McLaren Mercedes. McLaren changed their cars to silver and black. In 2005, tobacco advertising was banned in Europe. McLaren ended its deal with West. In 2006, the team had no main sponsor. They were called Team McLaren Mercedes. McLaren added red to their design and changed silver to chrome.
In 2007, McLaren signed a seven-year deal with Vodafone. They became Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. This deal was supposed to last until 2014. But they ended it early in 2013. It was reported that Vodafone was unhappy about McLaren racing in the 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix during protests. Johnnie Walker, a whisky brand, offered to be the main sponsor. But Ron Dennis turned down their offer.
At the end of 2015, McLaren lost sponsor TAG Heuer. Richard Mille replaced them from 2016. McLaren had no main sponsor in 2015. From 2015 to 2017, the team was called McLaren Honda because of their engine partnership. Since 2018, the team has been called McLaren F1 Team. CEO Zak Brown said he would not sell the team's name to a main sponsor. He wants to keep the team's name intact.
McLaren's cars were first named with "M" and a number. After the 1981 merger, cars were called "MP4/x" or "MP4-x". "MP4" first meant "Marlboro Project 4". After 1997, it meant "McLaren Project 4". From 2017, after Ron Dennis left, the cars were named "MCL" followed by a number. Since 2017, McLaren has used more orange colors, which they call "papaya." This is a nod to Bruce McLaren's original car colors.
In 2019, British American Tobacco (BAT) partnered with McLaren. They promoted BAT's alternative smoking products like Vuse. This caused some controversy. In late 2019, BAT became a main partner. The deal also included the McLaren IndyCar Team. In April 2024, the partnership was extended to the McLaren Formula E Team.
In July 2020, McLaren announced a partnership with Gulf Oil International. Gulf Oil became the preferred lubricant supplier for McLaren Automotive. A special Gulf livery was used for the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix.
In May 2022, OKX signed a sponsorship deal with McLaren. OKX became a primary partner in March 2023. They also support the McLaren Shadow esports team.
In May 2025, Banca Transilvania signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with McLaren as a primary partner.
For McLaren's 60th anniversary in 2023, they used a special livery for the Monaco and Spanish Grands Prix. This Triple Crown livery combined the colors of three winning McLaren cars. It had the papaya of the M16C/D (1974 Indy 500), the white of the MP4/2 (1984 Monaco Grand Prix), and the black of the F1 GTR (1995 24 Hours of Le Mans). McLaren's IndyCar team also used a Triple Crown livery. For the 2023 British Grand Prix, McLaren used a chrome livery. This was a throwback to their popular livery from 2006 to 2014. McLaren and OKX also used a black car with papaya streaks called "Stealth Mode" for the Singapore and Japanese Grands Prix. For the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, McLaren and Vuse used a livery with more papaya on the front wing.
The 2025 MCL39 car had minimal changes from the previous year. This is a tradition for the team after winning a championship. They also do not change the livery much during successful periods.
Race Cars
McLaren designs and builds many of its own race cars. Most famously, they build Formula One cars. The only exceptions are the Arrow McLaren IndyCar team, which uses Dallara chassis. McLaren's Extreme E team uses the Spark Odyssey 21. Their Formula E team uses Formula E Gen3 cars with Nissan powertrains.
Currently, McLaren only builds Formula One cars. The most successful McLaren Formula One car is the McLaren MP4/4 from 1988. It is one of the most successful Formula One cars ever. The MP4/4, driven by Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, won all but one race that year.
Racing Results
Formula One Results
- Constructors' Championships winning percentage: 15.3%
- Drivers' Championships winning percentage: 20.3%
- Winning percentage: 20.6%
Drivers' Champions
Seven drivers have won a total of twelve Drivers' Championships 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)
Esports
Esports Drivers' Champions
The following driver won the Formula One Esports Drivers' Championship for McLaren Shadow:
American Open-Wheel Racing Results
Race Wins
# | Season | Date | Sanction | Track / Race | No. | Winning Driver | Chassis | Engine | Tire | Grid | Laps Led |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1973 | 26 August | USAC | Ontario 500 Qualification Heat 2 (O) | 7 | ![]() |
McLaren M16C | Offenhauser | Goodyear | Pole | 21 |
2 | 16 September | USAC | Michigan Speedway Twin 125s #2 (O) | 7 | ![]() |
McLaren M16C | Offenhauser | Goodyear | 2 | 49 | |
3 | 1974 | 3 March | USAC | Ontario 500 Qualification Heat 2 (O) | 3 | ![]() |
McLaren M16C | Offenhauser | Goodyear | Pole | 4 |
4 | 26 May | USAC | Indianapolis 500 (O) | 3 | ![]() |
McLaren M16C | Offenhauser | Goodyear | 25 | 122 | |
5 | 9 June | USAC | Milwaukee Mile (O) | 3 | ![]() |
McLaren M16C | Offenhauser | Goodyear | 2 | 58 | |
6 | 30 June | USAC | Pocono 500 (O) | 3 | ![]() |
McLaren M16C | Offenhauser | Goodyear | 25 | 122 | |
7 | 1975 | 16 March | USAC | Phoenix International Raceway (O) | 2 | ![]() |
McLaren M16C | Offenhauser | Goodyear | 2 | 97 |
NC | 27 April | USAC | Trenton International Speedway (O) | 2 | ![]() |
McLaren M16C | Offenhauser | Goodyear | 2 | 69 | |
8 | 1976 | 2 May | USAC | Trenton International Speedway (O) | 2 | ![]() |
McLaren M16C | Offenhauser | Goodyear | 2 | 60 |
9 | 30 May | USAC | Indianapolis 500 (O) | 2 | ![]() |
McLaren M16E | Offenhauser | Goodyear | Pole | 48 | |
10 | 31 October | USAC | Texas World Speedway (O) | 2 | ![]() |
McLaren M16E | Offenhauser | Goodyear | 6 | 9 | |
11 | 1977 | 27 March | USAC | Phoenix International Raceway (O) | 2 | ![]() |
McLaren M24 | Cosworth DFX V8 t | Goodyear | Pole | 51 |
12 | 12 June | USAC | Milwaukee Mile (O) | 2 | ![]() |
McLaren M24 | Cosworth DFX V8t | Goodyear | 2 | 103 | |
13 | 31 July | USAC | Texas World Speedway (O) | 2 | ![]() |
McLaren M24 | Cosworth DFX V8t | Goodyear | 2 | 81 | |
14 | 21 August | USAC | Milwaukee Mile (O) | 2 | ![]() |
McLaren M24 | Cosworth DFX V8t | Goodyear | 3 | 29 | |
15 | 1978 | 16 July | USAC | Michigan International Speedway (O) | 4 | ![]() |
McLaren M24B | Cosworth DFX V8t | Goodyear | 2 | 53 |
16 | 28 October | USAC | Phoenix International Raceway (O) | 4 | ![]() |
McLaren M24B | Cosworth DFX V8t | Goodyear | 3 | 67 | |
17 | 1979 | 22 April | CART | Atlanta Motor Speedway Race 1 (O) | 4 | ![]() |
McLaren M24B | Cosworth DFX V8t | Goodyear | Pole | 30 |
18 | 22 April | CART | Atlanta Motor Speedway Race 2 (O) | 4 | ![]() |
McLaren M24B | Cosworth DFX V8t | Goodyear | Pole | 61 | |
19 | 2021 | 2 May | IndyCar | Texas Motor Speedway (O) | 5 | ![]() |
Dallara UAK18 | Chevrolet IndyCar V6 t | Firestone | 4 | 25 |
20 | 13 June | IndyCar | Belle Isle Street Circuit Race 2 | 5 | ![]() |
Dallara UAK18 | Chevrolet IndyCar V6t | Firestone | 16 | 3 | |
21 | 2022 | 1 May | IndyCar | Indy Grand Prix of Alabama | 5 | ![]() |
Dallara UAK18 | Chevrolet IndyCar V6t | Firestone | 2 | 27 |
22 | 24 July | IndyCar | Iowa Speedway race 2 (O) | 5 | ![]() |
Dallara UAK18 | Chevrolet IndyCar V6t | Firestone | 7 | 66 | |
23 | 2024 | 10 March | IndyCar | Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg | 5 | ![]() |
Dallara UAK18 | Chevrolet IndyCar V6t | Firestone | 3 | - |
24 | 7 July | IndyCar | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course | 5 | ![]() |
Dallara UAK18 | Chevrolet IndyCar V6t | Firestone | 2 | 24 | |
25 | 31 August | IndyCar | Milwaukee Mile race 1 (O) | 5 | ![]() |
Dallara UAK18 | Chevrolet IndyCar V6t | Firestone | 6 | 133 | |
26 | 2025 | 12 July | IndyCar | Iowa Speedway race 1 (O) | 5 | ![]() |
Dallara UAK18 | Chevrolet IndyCar V6t | Firestone | 5 | 33 |
Extreme E Results
Racing Overview
Year | Name | Car | Tyres | No. | G. | Drivers | Rounds | Pts. | Pos. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | ![]() NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team |
Spark Odyssey 21 | C | rowspan="2" |58. | M | ![]() |
(1–5) | 52 | 5th |
F | ![]() |
(1–5) | |||||||
2023 | ![]() |
Spark Odyssey 21 | C | 58. | M | ![]() |
(1–10) | 68 | 8th |
F | ![]() |
(1–7) | |||||||
![]() |
(7–8) | ||||||||
![]() |
(9–10) | ||||||||
2024 | ![]() |
Spark Odyssey 21 | C | 58. | M | ![]() |
(1–4) | 46 | 5th |
F | ![]() |
(1–4) |
Racing Summary
Year | Series | Races | Wins | Pod. | B/Qual. | S/S | Pts. | Pos. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | Extreme E | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 52 | 5th |
2023 | Extreme E | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 68 | 8th |
2024 | Extreme E | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 5th |
Total | 19 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 166 | – |
Formula E Results
Year | Chassis | Powertrain | Tyres | No. | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Points | T.C. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NEOM McLaren Formula E Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2022–23 | Formula E Gen3 | Nissan e-4ORCE 04 | H | MEX | DRH | HYD | CAP | SAP | BER | MCO | JKT | POR | RME | LDN | 88 | 8th | |||||||
5 | ![]() |
5 | 8 | 5 | Ret | 10 | 8 | Ret | 18 | 5 | 10 | Ret | 18 | DNS | 11 | 10 | 19 | ||||||
58 | ![]() |
Ret | 5 | 3 | Ret | 4 | 9 | 17 | 13 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 14 | Ret | 13 | 14 | 12 | ||||||
2023–24 | Formula E Gen3 | Nissan e-4ORCE 04 | H | MEX | DRH | SAP | TKO | ITA | MCO | BER | SHA | POR | LDN | 101 | 7th | ||||||||
5 | ![]() |
7 | 11 | 4 | Ret | 14 | 13 | 8 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 16 | 2 | 21 | Ret | Ret | 10 | ||||||
8 | ![]() |
14 | 4 | Ret | 1 | 19 | Ret | 10 | WD | 17 | Ret | 7 | Ret | 8 | Ret | ||||||||
![]() |
14 | 10 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||
2024–25 | Formula E Gen3 Evo | Nissan e-4ORCE 04 | H | SAP | MEX | JED | MIA | MCO | TKO | SHA | JAK | BER | LDN | 143* | 5th* | ||||||||
5 | ![]() |
3 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 20 | 15 | 16 | 3 | Ret | 3 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 6 | ||||||||
8 | ![]() |
4 | 18 | 8 | 12 | 18 | 11 | 20 | 14 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 8 | 11 | Ret |
See also
In Spanish: McLaren para niños