Under the bright lights of Singapore, McLaren confirmed what many had long seen coming. With Lando Norris on the podium and Oscar Piastri just behind, the papaya outfit clinched their second straight Constructors’ Championship, wrapping up the 2025 title with six races still to go. Yet beneath the celebrations, there was tension brewing between their two young stars.
It was another defining weekend for a team that has risen from the ashes. McLaren, once mired in mid-table mediocrity under a struggling Honda partnership, now stand as Formula 1’s new powerhouse. Their journey from 2016’s disappointment to 2025’s dominance has been one of the sport’s great modern turnarounds.
Since CEO Zak Brown took charge, McLaren have rebuilt step by step. The 2021 Italian Grand Prix ended a decade-long drought, and under team principal Andrea Stella and ex-Red Bull designer Rob Marshall, the team have engineered cars that now rule the grid.
This season, they have been unstoppable. Twelve victories, seven one-two finishes, and a growing sense of inevitability since the summer break have made the Constructors’ crown a mere formality. Singapore only confirmed it, with George Russell’s race win and Max Verstappen’s second-place finish overshadowed by the orange wave of McLaren’s triumph.
Still, the night wasn’t without drama. A fiery first-lap overtake from Norris left Piastri fuming, the Australian calling it “wasn’t fair.” Their duel added a layer of human tension to an otherwise perfect weekend. “It’s racing,” Norris said in an interview after the race. “Nothing more than good racing.”
Zak Brown, ever the diplomat, chose to praise rather than scold. “They have driven brilliantly all season. Two awesome racing drivers. As you can see, we are letting them race. Bit of a nail biter there,” he said.
With the Constructors’ title now secured, attention turns to the drivers’ fight. Norris leads Piastri by 22 points, but as McLaren’s orange empire continues to grow, managing egos may become as vital as managing engines.
