McLaren have just claimed their first title double in 27 years after an impressive 2025 Formula 1 season.
Lando Norris became the team’s first champion since Lewis Hamilton in 2008, after beating the formidable Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri in an intense finale.
The team’s turnaround over the last decade has been remarkable, with their Honda days now feeling like they were a long time ago.
McLaren are well-positioned to compete for a long time now, and with Mercedes engines for 2026, they should be in an excellent position.
Norris made behind-the-scenes changes to beat Piastri, but is now going to be pursued by the entire grid for the first time next year.
It means that the pressure ramps up just a little more, and it’ll be fascinating to see how well they make the transition to the new regulations.
Zak Brown rejected Liberty Media to join McLaren in 2016 for the ‘love’ of racing
McLaren have a backup plan for Piastri, in the event that he decides to leave the team if he isn’t satisfied with his performance or treatment in 2027.
For the last few seasons, they have enjoyed one of the best cars and driver line-ups, and have come a long way since hiring CEO Zak Brown back in 2016.
His first task was to get sponsors on a barren car, which was a simple job for a man with so much commercial expertise. He really is a massive reason why they are competitive again.
But, speaking on Virgin Radio, Chris Evans revealed how Brown actually rejected a job with Liberty Media to potentially replace Bernie Ecclestone as boss of Formula 1 back in 2016.
“I didn’t realise in 2016 that you were offered two jobs at the same time,” said Evans. “One was to sort of be the protégée to take over from Bernie in F1, maybe one day, whilst at the same time, being asked to become team boss at McLaren Racing. Interesting.”
“It was a luxury problem to have,” Brown replied. “I was going to Formula 1, and Ron [Dennis] was recruiting me, but it was really to be his number two, more on the business side, without really great visibility of when I can take over and run McLaren.
“Things happened with the shareholders, and then Mansour Ojjeh and Sheikh Mohammed called, and like, ‘Actually, we want you to come in and run McLaren Racing now. I was like, ‘Ah, that’s a different programme,’ because I love the racing.”
How Lando Norris’ McLaren gamble paid off handsomely in 2025
Back in 2023, when McLaren started the season with double Q1 exits, it would have been easy for Norris to upend and leave the team.
There was interest from Red Bull, which would have given him an instant chance to compete for a title, albeit against Verstappen.
But he kept his faith in the Woking-based outfit, with whom he had been since his junior days, and it was the right decision.
He has his title, and although the pressure is on him next year, in many ways, some of the weight of expectation has now been released from his young shoulders. He has achieved what he dreamed of.
READ MORE: Lando Norris explains the mindset helping him stay in control of the 2025 title fight
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