SUMMARY
- Lewis Hamilton is not the last Formula 1 driver to win a race for McLaren.
- Years after victory drought, it was Daniel Ricciardo who quenched McLaren's thirst in 2021.
McLaren has had a set of amazing drivers who have won several titles for the team. McLaren has secured 183 Grand Prix wins, 12 drivers’ World Championships, and eight Constructors’ World Championships. The British team has had some legendary and amazing drivers in the cockpit of their cars, the likes of Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Niki Lauda, James Hunt, and many more.
However, it has been a while since McLaren has won any major title in the Formula 1 World Championship. The last Constructors’ Championship they won was back in 1998 and also the drivers’ championship, in the year 2008. McLaren in the last decade has been struggling to cope with the competition, even after having good drivers by their side.
The last McLaren F1 victory did not come from Lewis Hamilton
Breaking McLaren’s 9-year curse, Daniel Ricciardo, the then McLaren driver broke McLaren’s streak of not winning any Grand Prix. At the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, Ricciardo scored his first win since the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix, and McLaren’s first win since the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix. Lando Norris also secured the second position which meant that McLaren achieved their first two since the 2010 Canadian Grand Prix.
The then-team principal Andreas Seidl said “So far, so good. If you look back at the last two and half years and what we have achieved, I’m happy with the steps we could make but also know we still have a long way to go. The objective we have is getting back to the front and being a position to fight for race wins every single weekend. But I’m definitely happy with what we have achieved so far.”
Unfortunately, the synergy between Ricciardo and McLaren couldn’t work out and the team had to release the Australian. McLaren signed a contract with the rookie Oscar Piastri and is showing promises with the two young drivers including Lando Norris and Piastri.
How Lando Norris reacted to Daniel Ricciardo’s replacement
Norris expressed great remarks about his new teammate, Oscar Piastri. Piastri was confirmed to drive for McLaren in the 2023 season of Formula 1 world championship in which he secured a 9th position in the drivers’ standings at the end of the season.
Norris stated “Oscar had an incredible season. Keeping calm and being yourself, it’s good to be reminded of that. I think he’s been very, very good at dealing with pressure, better than I feel like I remember I was when I started.”
Norris admits that he learned from his new rookie teammate in their first season together. Piastri enjoyed an excellent first season in F1, he was hampered in the early rounds by a slow car but as soon as upgrades arrived both drivers delivered to show that the future is bright for the team in terms of its driver line-up.