After a remarkable turnaround of form in 2023, which saw us go from the back of the grid to the front, we entered 2024 with high expectations of carrying on our trajectory, but much like in 2023, the MCL38 we unveiled ahead of the season wasn’t yet at full strength.   

We began 2024 as the fourth fastest in a competitive field, with the team working on key components in the background that would bring the MCL38 up to full specification.  

Whilst we waited, Lando and Oscar would need to maximise our opportunities and remain patient as those back at base perfected the pending installations. During this period, they kept us in play with Red Bull and Ferrari, most notably, through Lando’s podiums Down Under and in China, and Oscar’s fourth place finishes in Saudi Arabia and Australia.  

A yield of 96 points from the first five races had us a clear third behind Red Bull and Ferrari, despite the MCL38 not being at full spec. As the car improved and the margins grew finer, these initial points would prove vital. 

The anticipated upgrade arrived in time to be installed on Lando’s car for the sixth round of the season in Miami.

After a tough Sprint, in which he was forced to retire after being hit by another car, Lando emerged as the leader of the Grand Prix, thanks in part to a strong strategy and a fortunately timed Safety Car. Once out in front, he was able to demonstrate the speed to stay ahead of Max Verstappen, who had won four of the first five races.

This was a major milestone. For the Miami upgrade to be converted into victory at the first attempt not only instilled even more belief in the design direction we had taken, it boosted confidence in just how successful it could be.

It also established this ‘new’ McLaren team as winners for the first time, with Lando taking a first victory after many podiums. 

This was a critical phase in our season. With the upgrade installed on both MCL38s, Lando and Oscar had a car beneath them that was capable of being competitive on many types of circuits. It was during this period that we began to establish ourselves as potential Championship contenders, scoring regular podiums to catch up with Red Bull and Ferrari.

On the sweeps of Imola and then the streets of Monaco, where overtaking is notoriously difficult, Lando and Oscar challenged Verstappen and Charles Leclerc for the wins, respectively. At the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, which poses a mixture of fast straights and traction-demanding corners, we were again competitive, as Lando fought Verstappen for first. And then at the Circuit de Catalunya, a track renowned for testing a car’s all-round abilities, Lando qualified on Pole for the first time in 2024, finishing second.

This had allowed us to close the gap to Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship, with 237 points to their 270, but the best was yet to come.

Additional upgrades enhanced the competitiveness of the MCL38 and for a period, we were rarely out of contention for victory.  

A second win would have followed in Austria, but for a collision between Lando and Max Verstappen, which robbed the British star of victory. His next triumph would follow in the Dutch Grand Prix, as he beat Verstappen on his home ground, underlining the clear progress we’d made. A dominant third victory then followed in Singapore, Lando beating Verstappen by 20s.  

As well as becoming a picture of consistency, Oscar notched wins of his own during this period, displaying clear progress in his sophomore season. The Australian delivered an all-important maiden victory in Hungary, with Lando in tow, thus securing our 49th one-two in F1.  

Oscar produced a second, more dominant win in Azerbaijan, snatching the lead from Leclerc with a brilliant overtake going into Turn 1. This race on the streets of Baku proved to be a turning point, as we assumed the lead of the Constructors’ Championship for the first time.   

The Championship was far from decided, though, and as we edged towards the latter part of the season, Ferrari and Red Bull both bounced back, whilst Mercedes emerged as a race-winning outfit.

Lando and Oscar dominated the Sprint races in Brazil and Qatar, Oscar winning the former and Lando the latter, thanks to some strong teamwork. But for a myriad of reasons, many out of our control, results in the main races weren’t quite as straightforward, and by the season finale in Abu Dhabi, our lead of the Championship had been whittled down to 21 points – a healthy, but not entirely comfortable stronghold.  

Lando and Oscar locked out the front row at Yas Marina, but Oscar was compromised immediately at the first turn when he was hit by Verstappen. As the Australian worked his way back up into the points, Lando was being pursued by Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.  

It tested our mettle, with Lando needing to keep them both behind, but as a team we held our nerve. The gap between Lando and the Ferraris fluctuated between four tenths and four seconds for the majority of the race, and it, arguably, all came down to a single pit stop, as Sainz attempted to gain time via an undercut. At two seconds, Lando’s crucial change, on Lap 26, was the quickest of the race and put him on course to score a superb fourth win. It was our sixth of the year and, crucially, clinched us our first World Constructors’ Championship for 26 years.