MCL39, M23, MP4/4 and extra

McLaren smashed by the 200 wins barrier within the Method 1 world championship in 2025, having ended its lengthy watch for a ninth constructors' title the 12 months earlier than. Solely Ferrari has extra, and McLaren's constructors' success this season places it away from Williams and into second on the all-time checklist.

The Woking workforce, now underneath the stewardship of Zak Brown and Andrea Stella, has taken over because the pacesetter within the ultimate 12 months of F1's second ground-effect period and is into what might be described as its fourth purple patch.

Meaning there are many nice machines to select from when choosing out McLaren's 10 greatest F1 vehicles. And a few cool vehicles miss out, such because the speedy however unlucky MP4-20 from 2005 and the didn't-quite-get-the-job-done MP4-27 of 2012.

Right here, then, is our choice, considering every automobile's success, innovation and the opposition they confronted.

10. McLaren-Honda MP4/6

Yr: 1991
Wins: 8
Drivers' titles: 1 (Ayrton Senna, 1991)
Constructors' titles: 1 (1991)

The MP4/6 began 1991 with 4 straight wins, however the marketing campaign was not plain crusing for McLaren and Ayrton Senna.

For a lot of the center of the season, Senna's MP4/6 had reliability points, rising gasoline consumption as Honda developed its V12 engine inflicting the Brazilian to expire of gasoline at Silverstone and Hockenheim.

PLUS: The V12 experiment that yielded Senna's ultimate F1 title

Maybe extra worryingly, the Williams-Renault mixture got here on robust. The FW14 was the higher race automobile for a lot of the season, although gearbox points and workforce errors meant Williams did not at all times take advantage of it.

PLUS: The important thing errors behind a misplaced Williams title

McLaren and Honda responded strongly, Senna brilliantly taking pole and successful the Hungarian GP in August, then fortuitously successful in Belgium. McLaren outpaced Williams in Japanese GP qualifying and, when Nigel Mansell went off in his Williams, Senna's title was confirmed. He then handed the Suzuka win to team-mate Gerhard Berger.

McLaren received the constructors' title by 14 factors and the MP4/6 was the final F1 automobile to win the world championship utilizing a V12 engine or handbook transmission.

9. McLaren-Mercedes MP4-22

Yr: 2007
Wins: 8
Drivers' titles: 0
Constructors' titles: 0

The success of the MP4-22 is considerably tainted by the ‘Spygate' scandal, during which McLaren was discovered responsible of benefiting from secret Ferrari technical info. This resulted in a report $100million fantastic and McLaren being kicked out of the constructors' championship.

However, on-track, the automobile delivered. It received eight of the season's 17 races and outscored chief rival Ferrari. Solely exclusion prevented it taking the constructors' crown and it was each faster in comparison with rivals and scored extra wins than the MP4-23 with which Lewis Hamilton took his first drivers' crown in 2008.

The 2007 drivers' title was misplaced partly because of the rivalry between reigning world champion Alonso and rookie Hamilton, who each scored 109 factors and have been crushed by Ferrari's Raikkonen on 110.

The MP4-22 was very dependable, supplied a strong basis for a rookie to make an instantaneous influence on F1, and there was not a single race during which at the least one of many vehicles did not make the rostrum. It has a powerful case for being one of many best McLarens to not win a title.

8. McLaren-Mercedes MP4-14

Yr: 1999
Wins: 7
Drivers' titles: 1 (Mika Hakkinen, 1999)
Constructors' titles: 0

On the launch of the MP4-14, workforce boss Ron Dennis described the automobile as a illustration of “the most important single step we felt we may take for 1999 with maybe the smallest ever proportion of carry-over parts from final 12 months's automobile”. Nevertheless, because of the intricate design of the automobile, and this low proportion of carry-over parts, a number of the 12 months was spent fixing teething issues.

The season began disappointingly, with each vehicles dropping out of the Australian season opener regardless of locking out the entrance row. It set the theme for the season. The MP4-14 was comfortably the quickest automobile of the season – as proved by 11 poles from 16 races – however a spread of issues, from driver errors to a wheel falling off Mika Hakkinen's automobile at Silverstone, saved Ferrari in rivalry.

Regardless of Michael Schumacher lacking six races following his leg-breaking British GP crash, Ferrari took the constructors' crown, although Hakkinen did beat Eddie Irvine to the drivers' title.

7. McLaren-Ford MP4/1

Years: 1981-83
Wins: 6
Drivers' titles: 0
Constructors' titles: 0

McLaren was struggling badly when it merged with the Venture 4 Racing F2 workforce and it didn't take lengthy for Dennis and his workforce to make an influence. Designer John Barnard's MP4/1 not solely took the workforce again to the entrance, it was revolutionary.

The MP4/1 had the primary totally carbon composite F1 monocoque. Stiffer, lighter and safer than standard chassis, carbon fibre would quickly grow to be de rigueur in single-seater racing.

John Watson's 140mph crash at Monza in 1981, which he was in a position to stroll away from, underlined the automobile's energy and it was additionally a winner. Watson's well-liked 1981 British GP success was McLaren's first for 4 years and he went on to complete simply 5 factors behind world champion Keke Rosberg in a dramatic 1982 season.

PLUS: John Watson's prime 10 best races

The MP4/1 by no means received a title however Watson and Niki Lauda received six races throughout a three-year interval.

High 10: Niki Lauda's 10 best races

The automobile additionally launched McLaren's most-successful period and was a design milestone for F1.

6. McLaren-Honda MP4/5

Years: 1989-90
Wins: 16
Drivers' titles: 2 (Alain Prost 1989, Ayrton Senna 1990)
Constructors' titles: 2 (1989-90)

McLaren's 1989 season is greatest remembered for the more and more poisonous relationship between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, their Suzuka conflict and the following controversy. And that tends to overshadow the truth that the MP4/5 was one other nice McLaren.

In uncooked tempo phrases, it was virtually as far forward of rivals as its fabled predecessor, the MP4/4, nevertheless it wasn't as dependable. Engine and transmission points – and a few incidents – restricted the MP4/5 to ‘solely' 10 wins from 16 races as McLaren stormed to a different title double.

The revised MP4/5B confronted more durable opposition from Ferrari (now with Prost in crimson) however its highly effective Honda V10 engine, to not point out one other controversial Senna-Prost crash at Suzuka, helped McLaren to a different title double.

The mannequin's ultimate tally was 16 wins and 27 poles from 32 outings, together with 4 championship successes, scored at a time when McLaren's opposition was getting stronger.

5. McLaren-Mercedes MP4-13

Yr: 1998
Wins: 9
Drivers' titles: 1 (Mika Hakkinen, 1998)
Constructors' titles: 1 (1998)

In 1998, McLaren and Ferrari have been actually in a category of their very own. McLaren took the constructors' title with 156 factors to Ferrari's 133, whereas the remainder of the sector solely managed 127 factors between them.

The MP4-13 was the primary McLaren designed by Adrian Newey and, after lapping the opposition within the first race of the season, it was met with elevated scrutiny. Regardless of the FIA giving McLaren the all-clear throughout winter testing for the uneven braking system, following campaigning from Ferrari, the braking system was deemed unlawful, and the brakes have been faraway from the automobile.

Banned: F1's novel steering options

Regardless of that, McLaren remained the dominant pressure within the first 12 months of the narrow-car, grooved-tyres rules. The MP4-13 took 12 of the primary 13 poles of the season and in the end ended the workforce's seven-year watch for a title, Hakkinen including the drivers' laurels to the constructors' success.

4. McLaren-Mercedes MCL39

Yr: 2025
Wins: 12*
Drivers' titles: quickly to be 1? (2025)
Constructors' titles: 1 (2025)
* As of 2025 Singapore GP

The MCL38, which lastly challenged Purple Bull's domination of F1 and ended McLaren's watch for its first constructors' crown since 1998, deserves an honourable point out right here. However it was the MCL39, overseen by chief designer Rob Marshall, that actually stamped McLaren's authority on F1 and underlined the workforce's new period had arrived.

Regardless of starring performances from Max Verstappen for Purple Bull and George Russell at Mercedes, the 2025 title struggle has been between McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

Whereas different vehicles have been near and infrequently matched the MCL39 in qualifying, its type use of the tyres has given it a definite benefit in most races – and left rivals scratching their heads. There's been a latest wobble, however the race tempo remains to be there and it will be a shock if the MCL39 didn't add to its win tally.

If there's a draw back, it's that the F1 rule modifications for 2026 imply that, just like the MP4/4, the MCL39 is the top of a line. McLaren can be hoping it might proceed its place on the prime of the game throughout 2025-26 because it did in 1988-89 however, even when it doesn't, the MCL39 has already finished sufficient to be right here because it appears set to ship the workforce's first F1 title double since 1998.

3. McLaren-Honda MP4/4

Yr: 1988
Wins: 15
Drivers' titles: 1 (Ayrton Senna, 1988)
Constructors' titles: 1 (1988)

A fan favorite and presumably probably the most well-known of all McLarens, the MP4/4 received 15 from 16 races in 1988, with Senna and Prost combating an epic title battle nicely away from the remaining.

The Honda-powered automobile's uncooked tempo benefit was larger than another McLaren in world championship historical past and was crushed to pole solely as soon as. Its effectivity in races was not often matched and it was dependable, scoring 10 1-2s.

Senna's drive to clinch his first title at Suzuka was additionally one in all his best.

PLUS: Ayrton Senna's 10 best Method 1 races

The one causes the MP4/4 is not increased on this checklist are that the opposition was weak – reigning champion Williams particularly being hamstrung by naturally aspirated Judd V8 energy – and it wasn't notably revolutionary, turbocars being outlawed for 1989.

PLUS: The origins of McLaren-Honda's best racer

However, Neil Trundle, former chief mechanic to Senna, insists the MP4/4 is “the proper bundle, nonetheless the bottom and sleekest wanting automobile on show on the HQ”.

2. McLaren-Ford M23

Years: 1973-77
Wins: 16
Drivers' titles: 2 (Emerson Fittipaldi 1974, James Hunt 1976)
Constructors' titles: 1 (1974)

The primary McLaren to win an F1 crown, the M23 took 16 victories and three championships in its lengthy profession. When you embody its non-championship wins, it's the second most profitable F1 McLaren and is actually one of the crucial vital.

Designer Gordon Coppuck utilized Colin Chapman's considering with the Lotus 72 – wedge form and facet radiators – and expertise from his McLaren M16 Indycar to create the M23, which took a sensational pole on its debut within the fingers of Denny Hulme.

PLUS: The McLaren that rendered its Indy rivals out of date

The M23 ought to maybe have received extra races throughout its first season in 1973 however the arrival of Emerson Fittipaldi the next 12 months raised the workforce's recreation. Mixed with dangerous luck for the revitalised Ferrari, that was sufficient to safe each championships in 1974.

PLUS: Fittipaldi's prophetic title that justified his McLaren swap

Ferrari bought its act collectively in 1975 however there was nonetheless time for one more title problem with the M23. After Fittipaldi left, the speedy James Hunt stepped in and took a dramatic drivers' crown in 1976 following an epic battle with Lauda (Ferrari). And Hunt took the ageing automobile to a few poles early on in 1977.

PLUS: When McLaren conquered F1 and the Indy 500

1. McLaren-TAG MP4/2

Years: 1984-86
Wins: 22
Drivers' titles: 3 (Niki Lauda 1984, Alain Prost 1985-86)
Constructors' titles: 2 (1984-85)

The proper mixture of Barnard's carbon fibre monocoque and ‘Coke bottle' design, the TAG-badged Porsche engine, gasoline administration system by Bosch, and tyres from Michelin resulted in McLaren's first interval of true F1 domination.

All the pieces realized from the MP4/1 was included into the design, Dennis had persuaded Porsche to re-enter F1, and there was backing from Marlboro.

PLUS: The McLaren that improved on its revolutionary forebear

Lauda and Prost placed on a non-public contest for the 1984 world title, scoring 12 wins from 16 races because the Austrian famously beat his youthful French team-mate to the title by half some extent.

PLUS: How Lauda received F1's closest title battle

The bundle, developed over a three-year interval, took each titles once more in 1985 (now with Goodyear rubber) and was nonetheless ok in 1986 for Prost to attain an outstanding second drivers' crown towards the extra speedy Williams-Hondas.

The MP4/2's ultimate tally of twenty-two grand prix victories and 5 championships is unmatched in McLaren's historical past.

PLUS: The McLaren that gave Prost his F1 breakthrough

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