McLaren crowned Constructors' Champion: an undeniable triumph?

In more than one respect, McLaren fully deserves its Constructors' title. At least, there's no doubt about it from a performance perspective alone. The Woking team fielded two real rockets, who dominated the 2025 season from the start, leaving only crumbs to the competition for a long time. When Oscar piastri et Lando Norris crossing the finish line in Singapore is not just the end of a Grand Prix: it's the culmination of an entire season, although the celebration didn't really shine a spotlight on the World Drivers' Championship leader last Sunday. Third and fourth, the two papaya drivers still gave McLaren the crucial 13 points that sealed the tenth Constructors' title in the team's history. It is also the second consecutive title for the British team – an achievement not seen since the 1988-1991 period, when the team won four titles in a row.

With this new title, McLaren becomes the second most successful Constructors' Championship in the history of the Formula 1 rear Ferrari (16 titles), relegating Williams (9 titles) on the third step of the podium. In terms of domination, the men from Woking thus equal Red Bull Racing, which had clinched the title with six rounds remaining in 2023. McLaren nevertheless scored more points this season (650 against 623 for Red Bull), thus consolidating the legitimacy of a landmark victory. While the champion team can be pleased with its performance, history recalls even more spectacular seasons for the oranges, such as in 1988, when the legendary Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna won 15 of the 16 races.

If the drivers' championship remains open, with Max Verstappen threatening the potential first title of Oscar Piastri, leader of the standings, or that of Lando Norris, his runner-up by 22 points, McLaren can savor having secured one of the two titles at stake at the end of a rather monotonous Singapore Grand Prix.

Team orders: the Pandora's box that McLaren will no longer be able to close

Yet, behind the resounding success, not everything is rosy for the Oranges, and some tensions persist beneath the surface.  Oscar piastri et Lando Norris They are a formidable duo, with a total of twelve Grand Prix victories this season, but not without their problems. In Singapore, the Grand Prix was not the most exciting of the season, but from the start, the rivalry between the two men was palpable. A scene revealing the situation within the winning manufacturer: Oscar Piastri cut his microphone at the end of the race, interrupting a radio announcement from his team.

Since the end of the 2024 season, McLaren has indeed opened a real Pandora's box with its team orders and the Australian driver did not hide his frustration in the cockpit: " It is unfair " hammered the driver #81 during the race. " They fight hard but cleanly for victories, However, he defended Zak Brown – despite a first-lap clash between his two drivers. Andrea Stella also intervened to ease tensions after the race. First of all, we need to put things into perspective. These are the comments of an F1 driver, it's the emotion of the moment speaking, the Italian told Sky Sports. The information available in the cockpit only reflects his point of view. For him, he only sees Lando touching him. »

Cold, Oscar Piastri finally temporizes. There was clearly contact, which is never ideal, but I'll go watch the replays. " recognizes the Aussie to Canal+. For his part, Lando Norris justifies himself. " I touched Max, so it wasn't aggressive towards my teammate, says pilot number 4. I don't think I did anything wrong. Sure, I misjudged the distance between me and Max a little, but that's racing. » The Briton, however, claims that " Coming into contact with [his] teammate is the last thing [he] wants. »

McLaren has made several errors this year in its driver management, issuing instructions that were often misunderstood, leading to negotiations from the cockpit, particularly at Monza. Inevitably, Oscar Piastri's dissatisfaction in Singapore reflects the consequences of his team's choices, which are close to becoming a point of tension at the end of the season. Had the team remained in the background for the rest of the year, the issue could have been trivial, but the orange team chose to intervene systematically, setting a problematic precedent instead of letting its drivers fight on the track. Despite the friction, the papayas are united, guided by the clear objective of winning the championship: mission accomplished. What will happen now that the Drivers' title remains up for grabs?

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To err is human… even at McLaren

Despite these questionable decisions, McLaren has the car the fastest on the grid, an undeniable advantage that his drivers have not always been able to exploit. Unlike the first lap of the Singapore GP, Lando Norris does not always dare to attack his opponents: in Baku, he remains passive in the face of Yuki tsunoda and finished the race in the same position as at the start. In Singapore, he finished third behind Max Verstappen, attempting attacks without ever really worrying the Dutchman on a circuit not very conducive to such maneuvers.

For his part, Oscar Piastri has also had difficulties this season – Baku is the most obvious example: an incident in qualifying, a false start, then a retirement in the wall on the first lap… The Azerbaijani weekend showed that even one of the most dedicated drivers can falter under the pressure of a highly competitive championship.

In short, both leaders sometimes missed opportunities, particularly in Azerbaijan, which could weigh on the race for the drivers' title. But despite these blunders, McLaren is the constructors' champion. It remains to be seen whether one of its drivers will also manage to clinch the second crown, or whether there will be an unpleasant surprise at the final corner.