I used to loathe McLaren.
When I started following F1, they were the Galactic Empire. Technically impressive but devoid of soul. Distant, untouchable, perfect in a way that felt inhuman.
Then they crashed spectacularly.
The Honda Disaster Changed Everything
Ron Dennis thought reuniting with Honda would recreate the magic of 1988-1992. Instead, it became a nightmare. McLaren and Honda averaged 2.7 seconds off qualifying pace in 2015. They finished ninth, ahead of only Manor.
Even Fernando Alonso couldn’t save them. The combination that once dominated F1 was now just a memory. F1 had changed but McLaren hadn’t.
Ron Dennis’s greatest strength became his prison. He built McLaren through uncompromising attention to detail and technical innovation. But that same rigidity created myopia. That unwillingness to adapt doomed the team.
They needed humility, not better technology, not more money. Humility.
Zak Brown’s Quiet Revolution
When Zak Brown arrived in 2016, the changes seemed superficial at first. The chassis designation changed from MP4 to MCL. The papaya colors returned. New sponsors joined.
But these weren’t marketing moves, they were ritual. McLaren was publicly shedding its old identity.
Brown brought an American perspective. More open to fans and media, less secretive. The team became accessible and likeable, it even became more human.
A former mechanic said the atmosphere “relaxed” under Brown, but people actually “took extra pride” in their work. That’s the paradox of letting go of control.
Singapore’s Real Message
McLaren’s championship win at Singapore wasn’t dramatic. No last-lap heroics, no Hollywood moment. Just consistency paired with execution race after race.
That’s actually more impressive. McLaren became reliably excellent rather than occasionally brilliant. They ended a 26-year drought, the longest in F1 history for a constructor.
At Singapore 2025, they claimed their 10th title, overtaking Williams who have nine. As a Williams fan, that stings. But it also gives me hope.
The Blueprint For Comeback
McLaren’s journey shows that transformation requires being humbled first. You can’t rebuild while clinging to past glory. You have to let go completely.
Williams is attempting the same metamorphosis under James Vowles. The lesson is clear: assess where F1 is now, not where it was. Create a culture where talented people can thrive and accept that this takes years.
Everything goes in cycles. Frontrunners can become back markers; back markers can become champions. The key is staying humble enough to adapt when the cycle turns against you.
That a die-hard Williams fan now admires McLaren tells you everything. They didn’t just win a championship. They earned respect by doing the hardest thing in sports.
They admitted they were wrong.
