- Zak Brown admits that he didn’t understand fully the scale of McLaren resurgence during his early days at the team
- McLaren clinched the Constructors’ Championship title on Sunday
- The team principal Andrea Stella praised his team members saying it was an incredible feeling
Zak Brown admits that he didn’t understand fully the scale of McLaren resurgence during his early days at the team.
That was in late 2016, after two agonising seasons where simply finishing races was a near miracle, and scoring points seemed like a distant hope.
Under Brown’s stewardship, McLaren has surged from those depths, emerging in 2025 as a force defending the Constructors’ Championship underground-effect regulations.
McLaren clinched the Constructors’ Championship title on Sunday with six rounds still remaining. This matches Red Bull’s major win in 2023.
The team principal Andrea Stella praised his team members saying it was an incredible feeling winning the Constructors’ title.
Stella said that retaining the championship after their win in 2024 is “unbelievable.” But how did this McLaren resurgence to rival Red Bull and Mercedes happen?
What Led to McLaren’s Downfall?
Before 2017, McLaren’s identity was entwined with Ron Dennis, a legendary figure who led the team through its golden eras with champions from Senna to Hamilton.
However, Dennis’ decision to re-establish the McLaren-Honda partnership in 2015 led to years of frustration.
McLaren drivers at the time, Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button endured repeated engine failures, lackluster straight-line speed, and even DNFs due to technical issues.
One infamous moment came when Alonso radioed “GP2 engine” at Suzuka, embarrassed by being overtaken by a Toro Rosso.
McLaren ended the 2015 season ninth in the Constructors’ Championship. It was their worst finish since 1980. In 2016 they improved slightly but remained well off the pace.
Financially, the picture was bleak. The team CEO, Zak Brown later revealed losses north of £100 million annually. Sponsorships dried up, prize money fell, and McLaren teetered on the verge of collapse.
In September 2017, the McLaren-Honda partnership ended. Dennis sold his remaining shares, and Brown was appointed CEO in April 2018.
What Led to McLaren Resurgence?
The McLaren resurgence is a result of good leadership, driver development, financial recovery, and technical upgrade. Stella took on increasing responsibility, particularly trackside while Brown took the CEO position.
The team’s success started in the 2022 season when long-serving team principal Andreas Seidl left F1 for early retirement.
Stella took over as the team principal. Brown praised Stella as “very hands-on person’ which was what the team needed.
Under Stella, technical shifts followed. James Key left in early 2023 while Peter Prodromou and Neil Houldey were promoted. He also poached Oscar Piastri, from Alpine.
Brown and Stella reconfigured their technical structure bringing in Rob Marshall, a veteran with years alongside Adrian Newey, to lead technical development.
Meanwhile aerodynamic specialist David Sanchez was let go. The CEO and the team principal said they had to make tough calls to guarantee performance.
These decisions sparked the McLaren resurgence which is evident in the 2024 and 2025 F1 season. From fighting at the back, McLaren moved steadily into podium contention.
In 2023, upgrades delivered dramatic improvements in Austria, Silverstone, and Hungary. Lando Norris and Piastri’s double podiums in Japan and Qatar showed McLaren’s readiness in challenging the elite.
Although they fell short of the drivers’ title in 2024, the team lifted the Constructors’ Championship. They dethroned Red Bull with seven rounds remaining.
McLaren Performance
Brown and Stella set a winning tone for McLaren resurgence. The balance between Brown’s commercial drive and Stella’s technical pragmatism built trust and good team relations.
F1 driver relations, often a pressure cooker in Grand Prix teams, are stable in McLaren. Piastri and Norris, have maintained harmony, accepting team orders, and ensuring internal disputes stay internal.
Norris recently described Stella as the most understanding and genuine team principal any F1 team would have.
