As 20 Formula One drivers turned off their engines after a blistering race under the Singapore night sky, the McLaren team began celebrating its victory in the 2025 Constructors’ championship. The Constructors’ championship is awarded every season to the constructor, or team, who accumulates the most points between its two cars. McLaren has enjoyed a dominant season, with drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in the middle of a three-horse race for the Drivers’ championship as well.
McLaren entered the weekend with 623 points, well ahead of Mercedes (290) and Ferrari (286). The Papaya outfit’s rivals were still mathematically in the fight, however. To clinch the championship in Singapore, McLaren had a couple of win conditions. Scoring 13 points between its drivers would clinch the trophy for the Papaya outfit. If the team failed to do that however, it just had to avoid being outscored by 31 and 35 points by Mercedes and Ferrari respectively. There would be no late-race drama, however, as Norris and Piastri finished third and fourth, bringing home 27 points and securing the title despite Mercedes’ George Russell finding victory lane.
McLaren’s championship victory in 2025 could be the early stages of a blossoming dynasty. The team based in Woking, England, took victory last season as well, despite Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen winning the Drivers’ championship. Upcoming regulation changes in 2026 will drastically change the Formula One landscape, but if McLaren can produce a similarly-dominant car, there may be no end in sight for the team’s success. McLaren cannot get deadset on the future, however, as it is right in the middle of a brutal war for the Drivers’ championship trophy.
Going into the season, McLaren’s lineup of Piastri and Norris was a consensus top-three lineup in the sport, and both drivers have lived up to those high expectations so far. The 2025 season is Piastri’s third year in the sport, and he has improved year-after-year since his first race with McLaren in 2023. The Australian driver finished 108 points behind Norris in 2023 and 82 points behind in 2024. This season, he sits on 336 points with six races to go, 22 ahead of his teammate and championship rival.
Norris, who hails from England, has been McLaren’s hometown hero since he first entered the Formula One grid in 2019. Although he has an upper-hand in experience over Piastri, McLaren’s car was not competitive at the top of the field until 2024, meaning Norris did not take his maiden win until the Miami Grand Prix last season. Since then, however, he has proven to be a force to be reckoned with in qualifying and a formidable opponent on race day. This has led to Norris holding 314 points this season, trailing closely behind Piastri.
The 2025 season has been a hotspot for intra-team drama within McLaren, as would be expected when one team has the top two drivers in the Drivers’ championship. It began in Australia at the first race of the season. Norris took a commanding victory as Piastri tumbled down to ninth following a mistake in rainy weather. Piastri re-captured momentum shortly after, however, winning four of the next five races in China, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Miami. This gave the Australian a lead that he has protected at the time of writing, although Norris has been slowly chipping away as of late.
Both drivers consistently competing for wins has led to moments of drama between the two. The Canadian Grand Prix saw Norris come within centimeters of Piastri’s rear wing when the British driver attempted an overtake late in the race. Norris lost control of his car and crashed into the barrier, knocking him out of contention as Piastri finished fourth. Norris also suffered an engine failure during the Dutch Grand Prix, further extending Piastri’s lead as the Australian took victory. Piastri has begun to slip recently, however. He crashed out of the Qatar Grand Prix after qualifying poorly, although Norris only finished seventh, unable to fully capitalize on the opportunity. Norris also narrowly got the better of Piastri in Singapore.
Public perception of McLaren has been contrasting throughout the season. Piastri has largely been praised for his consistency and level-headedness, despite his relative lack of experience. Norris has been praised for his quickness both qualifying and race pace, but has been criticized for making mistakes in big moments. McLaren has also been heavily criticized for the way the team has handled its drivers. McLaren’s “Papaya rules” have become increasingly infamous, with fans of both Piastri and Norris accusing the team of showing favoritism towards the other driver.
All of the commotion surrounding McLaren has rendered the reigning four-time champion Verstappen largely forgotten. Despite Red Bull having a disappointing season, however, Verstappen has crept his way into title talks recently, winning two of the last three races and placing second in the other. Verstappen sits 63 points behind Piastri, and although the gap would be difficult to make up, Verstappen has proven to be more than capable of winning a title against all odds.
With the 2025 Constructors’ championship done and dusted, riskier possibilities will open for McLaren. A team-success oriented view may not be followed as strictly as it had been. If Piastri and Norris are unchained and left to fight it out themselves, and with Verstappen slithering in both of their rearview mirrors, Formula One is on track for its most dramatic title race since 2021.
All stats from Formula1.com as of Oct. 5.
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