31 May 2026 09:00 (UTC)
Find out if your favourite made the semi-finals in our vote to name McLaren’s greatest former driver
We are one step closer to discovering McLaren’s greatest former driver, with your votes deciding the four names that have progressed to the semi-finals.
In the lead-up to our 1,000th Grand Prix, we’re looking to crown the most iconic and legendary driver in McLaren Racing history. A total of 50 drivers have started a Formula 1 race for McLaren, with 22 taking victory. From that list, we selected a top 16, seeded by number of wins. Our 2026 pairing, Lando and Oscar, are excluded, as this vote is all about celebrating those who have previously raced in McLaren colours.
Voting began at the start of May with the Round of 16, and eight drivers successfully won their individual ties to progress to the quarter-finals. Voting then continued in the quarter-finals, where four drivers prevailed again to reach the semi-final stage.
After four highly competitive match-ups, Ayrton Senna, Lewis Hamilton, Mika Häkkinen, and Alain Prost advanced, knocking out Niki Lauda, Kimi Räikkönen, Fernando Alonso, and James Hunt.
Voting for the semi-finals is now open and will close on 3 June. Pick your favourites from each of the two ties. For more on each driver, scroll down past the match-ups to dive into the details of their McLaren careers.
Happy voting, Papaya Family!
McLaren statistics World Championships: 1988, 1990, 1991 Grands Prix wins: 35 Grands Prix: 96
Ayrton Senna actually tested for McLaren Racing during his pre-Formula 1 career, but declined an offer that would have committed him to the team upon stepping up to F1. Instead, he began his F1 career with Toleman, before moving to McLaren in 1988 via Honda-powered Lotus.
Ayrton and Honda arrived at McLaren at the same time, forming one of the most dominant partnerships in Formula 1 history. Alongside Alain Prost, Ayrton drove the McLaren-Honda MP4/4 to victory in 15 of the 16 races that season. Ayrton won eight races to Alain’s seven, clinching the title by three points. After losing out to Alain in 1989, at the height of their fierce rivalry, Ayrton reclaimed the crown in 1990 and 1991 following the Frenchman’s departure to Ferrari.
Ayrton’s reputation at McLaren was that of an intensely driven competitor. He is often credited as one of the first drivers to take diet and physical preparation truly seriously, pioneering a more professional approach to fitness in Formula 1. His intensity softened somewhat with the arrival of Gerhard Berger in 1990, who helped bring out a more playful side to the Brazilian, though his competitive edge never faded.
McLaren statistics World Championships: 2008 Grands Prix wins: 21 Grands Prix: 110
McLaren’s last Drivers’ Champion before Lando Norris was Lewis Hamilton, who secured the title in 2008 after a dramatic final day in Brazil. Lewis had been on McLaren’s books since 1998, rising through the ranks to widespread acclaim before being promoted to the Formula 1 team for 2007. After one of the sport’s most impressive rookie seasons, he became a regular race winner in 2008 and clinched his first World Championship at the final corner of the final lap of the race in Brazil.
A genuine homegrown talent, the Lewis Hamilton who arrived as a 22-year-old rookie was exceptionally fast and fearlessly competitive. He was also still developing, but eager to learn and relentlessly committed to improvement - a combination that quickly marked him out as a future champion.
He also built a strong connection with fans, taking time at events to engage with supporters and ensure everyone left happy. Nearly two decades on, Lewis remains at the pinnacle of motorsport, having built a global following that began during his early years at McLaren.
McLaren statistics World Championships: 1998, 1999 Grands Prix wins: 20 Grands Prix: 131
Mika Häkkinen originally joined McLaren as a Test Driver in 1993, following two years with a struggling Lotus team, deciding that a future seat with McLaren was a better bet than continuing to race an uncompetitive car. When Michael Andretti left McLaren with three races of the season remaining, Mika was given his chance and immediately cemented his place in the team - and began building his reputation - by out-qualifying Ayrton Senna in his first race with the team.
When Ayrton left for Williams ahead of 1994, Mika became the team’s number one driver, but it wasn’t until 1998 that he had a car capable of challenging for the Championship. In the Mercedes-powered MP4/13, Mika went wheel-to-wheel with Ferrari and Michael Schumacher, who would later hail the Finn as “The best opponent I’ve had in terms of quality”, winning the title in the season finale.
Mika was a fearless competitor and almost entirely unflappable, qualities that made him a formidable rival. Supremely quick and precise, he always knew exactly where to place the car and was never one to back out of a wheel-to-wheel battle. Off-track, he was reserved and easy-going, but thoughtful and well-humoured - very much the phlegmatic Finn. He’s still a popular presence in our garage to this day.
McLaren statistics World Championships: 1985, 1986, 1989 Grands Prix wins: 30 Grands Prix: 207
Alain Prost had been courted by much of the Formula 1 grid before electing to join McLaren in 1980. He left after a single season, returning in 1984 alongside Niki Lauda. Over a six-year spell with the team, he amassed 30 victories and three Drivers’ Championships.
After narrowly missing the title by two points in 1983 with Renault, and by just half a point to Niki in 1984, Alain made no mistake in 1985, dominating the season to secure the Championship with two races remaining. He went on to win further titles in 1986 and 1989, during which time he formed one half of Formula 1’s most iconic intra-team rivalry with Ayrton Senna, culminating in their infamous collision in the decisive 1989 Japanese Grand Prix.
During his time at McLaren, Alain earned the nickname ‘Le Professeur’ for his calm, cerebral approach to racing, though that was not always his early reputation. Paired with Niki, he began as the younger attacker, learning from his more experienced teammate. Niki’s measured, analytical style helped shape Alain’s own approach, as he refined his craft into something more controlled and methodical. The contrast between Alain’s calculation and Ayrton’s instinctive aggression defined one of the sport’s most compelling rivalries.
