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Amanda McLaren grew up in our most dominant era. For a long time, winning was all she knew, and while our recent success could have felt like a long time coming, she never once doubted we’d be back at the top of the sport.   

Visiting the factory for the first time since her father’s team won the 2024 Constructors’ Championship, Amanda finally got to see and hold the trophy.

“In Formula 1, like any sport, there are peaks and troughs,” Amanda says. “You ride the wave, then it all crashes down for a little while, and then you ride again. It was tough to see the team not doing so well, but gradually things started getting better, and that's absolutely brilliant. I couldn't be prouder that the cars with Dad's name on are at the front.”

Amanda was only four years old when her father was tragically killed while testing at Goodwood, but racing still became a huge part of her life. She grew up watching McLaren win titles and hearing stories of her father’s racing career, while her mother, Patty, maintained an involvement with McLaren. Amanda, herself, was also an ambassador for the brand before she moved back to New Zealand.

Amanda’s first Formula 1 memory is of James Hunt winning the 1976 World Championship. She can remember meeting the McLaren legend after that year’s British Grand Prix, an experience that generated plenty of excitement among her friends at school the following week.

Even during those successful years, results ebbed and flowed. It would be a decade before she next witnessed McLaren win a title, Niki Lauda clinching a Constructors’ and Drivers’ double in 1984. This sparked a hugely successful period between 1985 and 1991, in which Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost led McLaren to five Constructors’ Championships and six Drivers’ Championships.

Seven years would pass before our next title, Mika Häkkinen securing a double in 1998. In the 26 years since, we have taken just two Drivers’ Championships and didn’t win the Constructors’ title again until 2024. During each of those trophyless periods, the culture her father had established - which remains today - ensured Amanda always believed that success was never far away.

“For me, as well as the enjoyment of seeing the cars winning, it's a testament to everyone's hard work. The drivers get all the accolades, but every single person has worked hard. It’s such a collective group effort. Whether we're winning or losing, everybody has always worked really hard, but to see that hard work come to fruition and pay off, there's just a bit more of a smile on everyone's face. And there’s no complacency, the energy is just there, and it's fantastic to see.”

While Bruce’s ethos still runs through McLaren, naturally, so much has changed, from the way we operate, to the number of people in the building, and those in charge. In recent times, these evolutions have been overseen by CEO Zak Brown and Team Principal Andrea Stella, whose improvements have transformed the team and led to our most successful period in more than 15 years.

“The teamwork, the philosophy, everyone's pulling together, and the hierarchical leadership have become so collaborative. You've got some amazing people in the top roles, people like Andrea [Stella] and Piers [Thynne], the heads of the different departments, and I get the feeling that no one is afraid to speak up or to give an opinion, and I think that's really made a difference. People feel listened to, and everybody feels important, and the results are showing that.

“Zak came in and we were at our lowest point, but he has turned it around, through his ability to bring people on board, to bring in new partners, and to generate such passion. Then, putting Andrea in his position as Team Principal - Andrea's spirit has distilled down into the rest of the team. His leadership is so modern and very inclusive.

“I think Zak is a genius in what he’s been able to do, and his love and passion for the history and the heritage of this team, personally, I love it.”

Our form has continued in 2025. We’re enjoying our strongest start to a season since 1998, Lando and Oscar winning five races from the opening six rounds, as well as taking five podiums.

As well as being seriously quick, the two of them are amongst the most popular drivers on the grid. So, what does Amanda think her father would have made of our drivers?

“I think he would be patting them on the shoulder,” Amanda says. “I think he'd love them because of their genuineness. Obviously, he would love what they’re doing, but they are nice people.

“Everybody who talks about my father says he was a lovely man, and I think, in that sense, Lando and Oscar would remind people of my dad, and I think that my dad would give them a good pat on the shoulder for that reason. They're both young, but they're both very mature, and everybody loves them.

“I remember seeing Lando walking through the paddock, and a young girl comes up to him with a bracelet. He stops and kneels down, takes the bracelet and puts it on. He didn't just chuck it in his pocket and walk on, and I think that’s what makes our drivers special. They both take their time with fans, and I think that's really special and quite unique.

“And of course, they're both absolutely capable of winning races, because at the end of the day, getting in that car and getting it across the finishing line first is what we are all about. And for us to have two of them, we are very, very lucky.”