McLaren are favourites to dethrone Red Bull as F1’s constructors’ champions this year. The Bulls have won the last two titles, but they’re now very much outsiders for the 2024 crown.
Heading into this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix, McLaren are 24 points clear of Ferrari at the top of the table. They surrendered some of their cushion on a difficult weekend in Las Vegas, with Lando Norris only sixth and Oscar Piastri seventh.
Red Bull, meanwhile, slipped 53 points back after Max Verstappen (P5) and Sergio Perez (P10) combined for just 11 points. While it’s feasible that one or both of the teams ahead have a low-scoring weekend before the end of the season, it may make little difference.
| Position | Constructors’ Standings | Points |
| 1 |
McLaren Racing |
608 |
| 2 |
Scuderia Ferrari |
584 |
| 3 |
Red Bull Racing |
555 |
| 4 |
Mercedes-AMG Petronas |
425 |
| 5 |
Aston Martin F1 Team |
86 |
| 6 |
Haas F1 Team |
50 |
| 7 |
Alpine F1 Team |
49 |
| 8 |
Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team |
46 |
| 9 |
Williams F1 Team |
17 |
| 10 |
Sauber F1 Team |
0 |
That’s because Perez has only finished in the top six once since the Miami GP at the start of May. If Verstappen was to win and the Mexican could only manage seventh, for instance, second and third would be more fruitful.
Red Bull sealed their eighth drivers’ title in 20 seasons in Vegas as Verstappen kept his lead above the magical 59-point threshold. They’ve amassed 121 victories, 103 poles and 280 podiums across only 391 races.
McLaren boss Zak Brown makes his admiration for Ferrari clear
Speaking on the Business of Sport podcast, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown indicated that he had more respect for Ferrari than he did for Red Bull. This year’s title protagonists are arguably the most iconic teams in F1.
Ferrari are the only team to have featured in more than 1000 Grands Prix and lead the way all-time for combined championships (31) and wins (248), as well as all the other headline categories. They’re aiming to end a drought that stretches back to 2008.
McLaren’s barren spell stretches back even further to the late 1990s. Recent F1 history has belonged to Mercedes, who reigned from 2014 to 2021, and Red Bull.
| CATEGORY | MCLAREN | FERRARI |
| Drivers’ titles | 12 | 15 |
| Constructors’ titles | 8 | 16 |
| Grands Prix | 968 | 1096 |
| Wins | 188 | 248 |
| Poles | 163 | 253 |
| Podiums | 522 | 826 |
Relations between McLaren and Ferrari have appeared respectful, even cordial, this season. After his old driver Carlos Sainz won the Mexico City Grand Prix, Brown ‘photobombed’ the victory photo in the pit lane.
“Which rival team do you respect most?” he was asked in a quickfire question round.
“Ferrari,” was his one-word reply.
Zak Brown’s war of words with Red Bull’s Christian Horner and Helmut Marko
It’s perhaps no surprise that Brown didn’t pick Red Bull given his off-track squabbles with senior figures at Milton Keynes. McLaren’s rivalry with Red Bull ‘exploded’ after the Austrian GP, when Verstappen hit Norris at the end of the race.
Brown slammed Horner for blaming Norris for the incident, calling his post-race radio messages ‘inappropriate’. He also declared Red Bull had insulted their F1 rivals in trying to excuse their 2021 cost cap breach.
There was another flare up in October, when Brown condemned Helmut Marko for painting Norris as mentally weak. In response, Marko accused Brown of twisting his words to create ‘unrest’.
Technical disputes have caused further strain, with McLaren forced to modify their rear wing after complaints from Horner’s camp. Their battles look set to continue into 2025, with minimal changes to the regulations.
