If you listen closely, you can almost hear the ghosts of McLaren’s past whispering through the pitlane at Marina Bay. The echoes of Senna, Prost, Häkkinen, and Hamilton—champions who once made the papaya orange a symbol of Formula 1 supremacy—are growing louder as the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix approaches. And for the first time in a generation, the question is not “if” but “when” McLaren will reclaim the Constructors’ Championship. Is it possible for McLaren to win the championship in Singapore? Let’s just say, if they don’t, someone in Woking will be checking the car for banana peels.
- The Numbers Game: McLaren’s Match Point
- The Ghosts of Dominance: Historical Parallels
- Singapore: The Night Where Legends Are Made (and Sometimes Broken)
- The Human Element: Pressure, Rivalry, and Redemption
- The Records Within Reach: Chasing Immortality
- The Threats: Verstappen, Mercedes, and the Unpredictable
- The Emotional Core: What This Means for McLaren—and for F1
The Numbers Game: McLaren’s Match Point
Let’s start with the cold, hard facts—because, as any historian of the grid will tell you, emotion is best served with a side of mathematics. After 17 rounds of the 2025 season, McLaren sits atop the Constructors’ standings with a staggering 623 points. Their nearest rivals, Mercedes and Ferrari, trail with 290 and 286 points respectively. Red Bull, the once-unstoppable juggernaut, has already been mathematically eliminated from the title fight.
With seven Grands Prix and three sprint races left, a maximum of 346 points remains on the table. For McLaren, the equation is simple: avoid being outscored by Mercedes by 31 points or more, and by Ferrari by 35 points or more in Singapore, and the title is theirs. In practical terms, a single podium finish from either Oscar Piastri or Lando Norris will do the trick. As PlanetF1 puts it, it would take a small miracle for it not to mathematically wrap it up at the next race. source
Here’s the scenario in black and white:
| Team | Points (After 17 Rounds) | Points Needed to Delay McLaren |
|---|---|---|
| McLaren | 623 | N/A |
| Mercedes | 290 | Outscore McLaren by 31+ |
| Ferrari | 286 | Outscore McLaren by 35+ |
If you’re a betting person, you’d get better odds on Jean Alesi making a comeback than on McLaren fumbling this one.
The Ghosts of Dominance: Historical Parallels
Let’s not pretend this is uncharted territory for McLaren. The team has won the Constructors’ Championship eight times, with their first title in 1974 and their most recent in 1998. Their 1988 campaign, with Senna and Prost, remains the gold standard for dominance—winning 15 out of 16 races and finishing 134 points ahead of Ferrari. That’s not just winning; that’s lapping the field in style.
But here’s the kicker: never in the modern era has a team with such a commanding lead with seven races to go lost the title. Red Bull’s 2023 campaign saw them lead by over 300 points at this stage, and they closed the deal with the efficiency of a Swiss watch. Brawn GP in 2009, Mercedes in their turbo-hybrid heyday—when you’re this far ahead, the only thing that can stop you is a catastrophic meltdown or, perhaps, a meteor strike.
It is extremely rare, if not unprecedented, for a team leading the Constructors’ Championship with seven races to go to lose the title.
F1Metrics Historical Database
So, if you’re waiting for a twist, you might be better off watching a telenovela.
Singapore: The Night Where Legends Are Made (and Sometimes Broken)
Ah, Singapore. The original night race, a circuit that has seen everything from Crashgate scandals to Hamilton masterclasses. For McLaren, Marina Bay has been a mixed bag. Lewis Hamilton delivered a dominant win in 2009, and Lando Norris has been a regular podium visitor in recent years, including a pole position in 2024. Last year, Norris finished second, trailing only Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari.
But Singapore is also a place where pressure does funny things to even the best. The walls are close, the humidity is oppressive, and the glare of the floodlights is unforgiving. Just ask Oscar Piastri, who arrives in Singapore after a rare meltdown in Baku—crashing out and ending a 44-race finishing streak. Norris, meanwhile, could only manage seventh in Azerbaijan, a result that delayed McLaren’s coronation.
For the first time this season, Piastri failed to score a point, ending a streak of 44 consecutive race finishes in the process. That run puts him second on the all-time list, behind Lewis Hamilton’s record of 48, showing just how unusual it was for the Australian to slip up in such fashion.
If you’re looking for drama, Singapore is the place. But if you’re looking for a statistical upset, you might want to check the odds on snow in the Sahara.
The Human Element: Pressure, Rivalry, and Redemption
Let’s not kid ourselves—this isn’t just about numbers. It’s about people. It’s about Oscar Piastri, the ice-cool Australian who suddenly looked mortal in Baku. It’s about Lando Norris, the perennial nearly-man who now finds himself within 25 points of his teammate in the Drivers’ standings. And it’s about Max Verstappen, the four-time champion who, after back-to-back wins in Monza and Baku, has closed the gap to Piastri to 69 points.
The pressure and spotlight will be on Piastri as he looks to prove his mettle. Like Baku, Singapore throws up another unique and brutal street circuit with little margin for error. There is potential jeopardy everywhere you look. In many ways, this is the last place Piastri will have wanted to come after his nightmare in Azerbaijan.
The tension within McLaren is palpable. Team orders, fairness, and the specter of intra-team rivalry are all in play. As ESPN notes, McLaren walking a ‘fairness’ tightrope with Norris, Piastri. source
And then there’s the weight of history. McLaren hasn’t won back-to-back Constructors’ titles since the days of Senna and Prost. The last time they clinched a championship before the final race was… well, let’s just say the Berlin Wall was still standing.
The Records Within Reach: Chasing Immortality
It’s not just about the title. McLaren is on the verge of rewriting the record books. With 623 points and 346 still available, they could theoretically finish the season with 969 points—shattering Mercedes’ 2016 record of 765. Their average of 36.6 points per race puts them on pace for around 879, plus whatever they can scrounge from the remaining sprint races.
They’ve already missed out on the record for most wins in a season (Red Bull’s 21 in 2023), but the records for most podiums (Mercedes’ 33 in 2016) and most one-twos (Mercedes’ 12 in 2015) are still in play.
McLaren could also secure the largest winning margin for a Constructors’ Championship with Red Bull also holding that record at 451 points. If the season were to end today, McLaren’s lead would be 333, meaning it needs to make up another 118 points on second between now and the end of the year.
Records are nice, but as any grizzled F1 veteran will tell you, they don’t keep you warm at night. Titles do.
The Threats: Verstappen, Mercedes, and the Unpredictable
Of course, this is Formula 1. If you want guarantees, buy a toaster. Max Verstappen, fresh off two consecutive wins, is lurking. Mercedes, with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, have found form at just the wrong time for McLaren. Ferrari, well… let’s just say their “mission impossible” is living up to its name.
Mercedes is in a better position than the Italian firm, with George Russell’s victory and his teammate’s podium in Canada. Lining up two cars on the podium in Singapore would still be an achievement, even if Kimi Antonelli has found a good rhythm and George Russell shone in Baku despite a lung infection.
But let’s be honest: for McLaren to lose from here would require a collapse of biblical proportions. As RaceFans puts it, their drivers will be alert to the rising threat from Max Verstappen in their points fight, but the Constructors’ title is all but a formality. source
The Emotional Core: What This Means for McLaren—and for F1
For McLaren, this is more than just a championship. It’s a resurrection. It’s the validation of years of rebuilding, of painful near-misses, of watching rivals bask in the glory that once belonged to Woking. It’s the culmination of a journey that began with Ron Dennis’ vision, survived the Honda debacle, and now finds new life under Zak Brown and Andrea Stella.
For Formula 1, it’s a reminder that dynasties can be toppled, that the sport’s pendulum always swings back. Red Bull’s reign is over (for now), and the papaya orange is once again the color of hope.
McLaren are on course to retaining their crown, which would mark the 10th time they have won the constructors’ world title. Considering McLaren have racked up 12 wins and seven one-two finishes across the first 17 rounds of 2025, it feels almost inevitable that they will be celebrating another championship triumph come Sunday night.
If you’re a McLaren fan, savor this moment. If you’re not, well, history suggests you might not have to wait long for the next twist.
