McLaren F1 car
Photo: Liauzh (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons

Constructor

McLaren

Founded by a driver. Built by engineers. Back at the front.

Full name
McLaren Formula 1 Team
Base
Woking, United Kingdom
Team principal
Andrea Stella
Power unit
Mercedes

McLaren was founded by New Zealand driver Bruce McLaren, who died testing one of his own cars in 1970. The team became one of the sport’s giants in the 80s and 90s with Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, and Mika Häkkinen in cars built by Ron Dennis, John Barnard, and Adrian Newey.

A long, painful slump followed the end of the Honda turbo era. The team only began winning consistently again in 2024, with the MCL38 (a car many regard as the best on the grid) and the Lando Norris / Oscar Piastri pairing.

McLaren cars are papaya orange. The shade was chosen specifically to be visible on the black-and-white TV broadcasts of the 1960s, and the team has never let it go.

Constructor receipts

Through the 2026 season

9

Constructor titles

1966

First season

P3

2026 standing

94

Points

Last race

Decoder breakdown of the most recent round

R04 Miami Grand Prix 03 May 2026 Read the decoder →

Current lineup

2026 driver pairing