Mclaren Outperforms Red Bull As Top Earners In Formula 1 Championship.

McLaren Racing enters the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday as the new darlings of Formula 1, with high hopes of dethroning Red Bull and Max Verstappen.

Since Verstappen won his first title in 2021, Red Bull and its Dutch driver have dominated both the drivers’ championship and the constructors’ title for the best car. Verstappen now holds three consecutive titles and leads the driver standings, while Red Bull has won back-to-back constructors’ titles. However, McLaren’s recent success has seen them surge to the top of the constructors’ championship for the first time since 2014, following Oscar Piastri’s victory last Sunday and Lando Norris’ fourth-place finish.

Heading into the Singapore race, McLaren holds a 20-point lead over Red Bull, who had previously been the leading carmaker since 2022.

“I believe we have just as good a chance as anyone,” boldly declared Zak Brown, the chief executive of McLaren, while attending IndyCar’s season-ending race in Nashville, Tennessee.

McLaren’s performance at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix generated significant buzz, even with Brown being half a world away. Prioritizing Norris and the driver championship over Piastri, McLaren admitted this strategy for the final eight races of the season. Piastri, in stride, accepted the team order and emerged victorious in the race.

“Obviously, no racing driver wants to compromise their own race, so of course, he doesn’t love it. But he’s a great team player, completely understands, and also knows that the role could be reversed in the future,” said Brown in acknowledgement of Piastri’s commitment to the team’s decision.

Further, the possibility of reversing the roles remains open, depending on Lando’s performance and Piastri’s potential to win races. Brown acknowledged the dynamic nature of the championship and the potential turns it may take.

With Norris and Piastri claiming victory in two of the last three F1 races for McLaren, Verstappen, on the other hand, has not won since the Spanish Grand Prix in June. Despite McLaren’s focus on Norris overtaking Verstappen, Brown acknowledges that it remains a challenging task, requiring Norris to significantly narrow the points gap each race.

Nevertheless, McLaren’s primary focus is on winning the constructors’ title, which comes with substantial financial rewards. The prize money awarded to the winning team varies each year but typically exceeds $140 million.

Considering Red Bull’s dominance, Brown points out that Ferrari may pose an even greater threat this year, given their impressive performance. McLaren praises the leadership of team principal Andrea Stella for unlocking the team’s potential and instigating their resurgence.

Brown, who became CEO of McLaren in 2018, recognizes the challenges faced along the way. He has been working tirelessly to revive McLaren’s stature in F1, experiencing some setbacks, particularly during the chaotic 2022 season. However, McLaren’s trajectory has been positive, leading them to their current position as they head into the Singapore Grand Prix.

While McLaren continues to progress, Brown expresses his desire for the IndyCar team to achieve similar success.

“I want the IndyCar team to reach the level of the Formula 1 team. We are still a young team and are constantly hiring and making changes during the offseason. I believe the IndyCar team is following the same trajectory as the Formula 1 team, with the Formula 1 team being slightly ahead at the moment,” said Brown.