McLaren performed admirably to clinch the Constructors’ Championship and were consistently in contention to win races since the Miami Grand Prix.
Lando Norris was under significant pressure at the final round of the season at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, knowing one mistake could’ve handed Ferrari the title.
McLaren were fighting with just one car throughout the 58 laps as Oscar Piastri got together with Max Verstappen at Turn 1 and dropped to the back of the field.
Piastri eventually worked his way back through the field after taking a penalty for hitting Franco Colapinto in the opening laps.
McLaren’s CEO Zak Brown was delighted as the chequered flag fell because he led the British team to their first Constructors’ Championship since 1998.
Ferrari were impressive in their pursuit of McLaren but missed out partly because of a bad weekend for Charles Leclerc in Abu Dhabi.
Justin Bell explained what the American texted him after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and Norris’ fourth win of the season.
Zak Brown wrote that the race was ‘the toughest couple of hours he’s ever had’
Brown has been integral to McLaren’s rise up the order since he took over in 2018 when the team had a frustrated Fernando Alonso and few sponsors. The American has led the team well, and Brown has earned praise from Guenther Steiner.
The team are now operationally so much more in tune with winning races, although they could still be sharper when managing McLaren’s two drivers.
Brown was nervously watching on the pit wall as Norris led the race and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz pressured him relentlessly over the race distance.
READ MORE: Zak Brown alludes to how he thinks McLaren drivers have to race Max Verstappen in future
Bell explained on the Drive to Wynn YouTube channel that Brown admitted the race was very difficult despite holding the lead.
He said: “When it came to the race, mathematically, with the chance of Ferrari overtaking McLaren for the World Constructors’ Championship, it was all about whether something disastrous happened.
“I actually was texting with Zak Brown on Monday, yesterday, and he repeated it again. It was the toughest couple of hours he’s ever had.
“Edge of the seat stuff. From McLaren’s point of view, Oscar Piastri driving back into the top 10. Super strong drive, perhaps not promoted enough on the TV broadcast, but he really did bring it up into the top 10, getting that extra couple of points.”
McLaren may have to manage their drivers very carefully in 2025
McLaren have two very quick drivers in their cars. Piastri warned the team to avoid a repeat of 2016, where Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg battled for the championship amid a tense intra-team atmosphere.
If the British team can take a step forward and hit the ground running in 2025 rather than playing catch-up, McLaren will have to be mindful.
Norris and Piastri are both very quick and are yet to experience a title battle that goes down to the wire, and every point matters.
They were quick at the end of 2023 and fell behind at the start of this season so a more productive winter is needed to start on the front foot.
