McLaren are abandoning their traditional public celebration in Woking following Lando Norris’ first WDC win.
McLaren have said there won’t be a traditional public celebration in Woking to mark Lando Norris’ first Formula 1 world title.
The decision comes after McLaren’s most successful year in more than two decades, as the team claimed both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships for the first time since 1998. The team said its schedule ahead of the new season doesn’t allow time for a public event.
McLaren decline Lando Norris celebration as attention quickly shifts to 2026 season
A McLaren spokesperson told the BBC that the team wouldn’t be holding any celebrations in Woking “as the team are super busy preparing for the season ahead.”
The quick turnaround between the end of the 2025 campaign and the start of pre-season testing means there’s little downtime for the team. Some in the local community had hoped the town would mark Norris’s achievement.
Woking MP Will Forster said McLaren had “put the town on the map for all the right reasons,” while council leader Ann-Marie Barker wrote to McLaren CEO Zak Brown to share her pride and offer support for a local event.
Barker pointed to the success of the February 2024 event celebrating McLaren’s Constructors’ title as a reason to do something similar for Norris. However, the council has since confirmed that no further plans are in place.
Historic success for McLaren followed by quiet return to work
Norris’s win is McLaren’s first drivers’ title since Mika Hakkinen’s in 1998 — a 27-year wait. Back then, Hakkinen’s post-title parade through Woking became one of the most memorable celebrations in the team’s history.
This time, the team’s focus is firmly on the future. With major regulation changes coming in 2026, McLaren are prioritising development over celebration, aiming to build on their recent success.
Even without a public event, the team’s double championship has been hailed as a defining moment in their modern resurgence.
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