Since its introduction in 1958, 170 chassis constructors have despatched vehicles out to compete within the Method 1 world championship for constructors, with a complete of 15 successful the constructors’ championship. Ferrari holds down the document for many titles with 16. Again in third place is McLaren, with a complete of eight constructors’ championships.
As destiny would have it, this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will see a constructors’ championship showdown between Ferrari and McLaren. At present holding down a 21-lead over Ferrari, McLaren can take its first constructors’ crown since 1998 if drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri can conjure up 24 factors Sunday afternoon on the Yas Marina Circuit.
“If we will cap it off with the world constructors’ championship this weekend, that might be the icing on the cake,” mentioned Piastri, who’s at the moment fourth within the drivers’ standings with 2024 grand prix victories at Hungary and Azerbaijan
In his second 12 months as a McLaren F1 racer, Piastri is proud to be a member of the group shaped in 1963 by Bruce McLaren. Shaped in 1963 and with 12 drivers’ world championships to its credit score, Piastri is keen for a similar kind of success with the staff that McLaren legends James Hunt, Nicky Lauda, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna and Lewis Hamilton have attained.
“It’s very, very cool to be part of McLaren,” mentioned the Australian. “Once you look again to earlier than I used to be born and the historical past of the staff, it is rather unimaginable to be becoming a member of the record of McLaren drivers now and the record of world champions that we’ve had as a staff. I feel much more myself and watching McLaren whereas I used to be rising up, I’ve all the time appreciated the very, very previous McLaren vehicles that you simply couldn’t miss out on the monitor. Now to be, hopefully this weekend, a part of that subsequent chapter of McLaren’s historical past may be very thrilling.”
Whereas teammate Norris got here closest to knocking Max Verstappen from his drivers’ championship pedestal this season, Piastri has quite a bit to be glad with from his sophomore marketing campaign.
“I feel it has undoubtedly been a superb 12 months. In comparison with final season, we’ve taken a pleasant step ahead as a staff. I additionally suppose for myself, personally, I really feel like I’ve taken a step forwards, as properly,” Piastri mentioned. “I’ve received a few wins and lots of podiums, so it has been a hell of lots of enjoyable, for positive. It has been an ideal season.”
Being such a high-profile driver in a high-profile F1 staff, has Piastri discovered it tough to focus at instances in such a globetrotting collection?
“It’s a little it,” he admitted. “I imply we spend a lot time on the highway and at races, you typically don’t have that a lot time to do a lot else. However it’s good enjoyable. I feel for me, I’m right here as a result of I need to win races and grow to be a world champion. I feel staying centered is fairly simple. In fact it’s a tiring season. It’s a very lengthy season we now have these days, however I feel once you’re combating proper on the entrance, it makes being motivated very straightforward.”
It takes lots of behind-the-scenes effort to offer Piastri his finest shot. Steven Tee/Motorsport Photos
And he’s nonetheless impressed by how a lot effort goes on behind the scenes in getting McLaren’s two vehicles onto the grid on each grand prix Sunday.
“Sure, there may be much more behind the scenes that I assume individuals don’t see on TV,” mentioned Piastri. “I feel ‘Drive To Survive’ has most likely proven a bit of little bit of that in the previous few years. You already know we now have lots of commitments outdoors of driving — the quantity of labor we do with the media, with our sponsors and stuff like that. We most likely drive the automotive for half the time we spend doing all the opposite issues concerned.
“Even simply the touring might be robust. On TV we magically seem from circuit to circuit, nevertheless it takes a very long time to get to all these locations. Particularly this tripleheader has been brutal, going from Europe to Vegas after which all the way in which throughout the opposite aspect of the world for the following weekend. It’s been a busy few weeks, for positive.”
However the depth of the competitors makes all of it worthwhile, he says.
“It has been lots of enjoyable combating with Ferrari, Purple Bull and Mercedes this season,” mentioned Piastri. “I feel at instances it was most likely a bit nearer than we’d have appreciated, however I feel it’s actually nice for the game. It has been a very long time since we now have had such an open season and so many groups combating for victories. Greater than seven drivers have received a number of races and it’s the primary time in lots of years the place there have been so many alternative winners. It’s been thrilling to be part of.
“It’s very tough on the market. Each monitor we go to I really feel like we’ve been fairly constant via the 12 months. Now we have a unique problem or completely different challengers every weekend, so it’s by no means straightforward. However as a fan, I feel it’s nice to observe. At the same time as a driver, realizing that you’ve got an opportunity of successful every weekend — or no less than being within the battle for it — may be very thrilling.”
Piastri battles with Mercedes’ George Russell in Qatar. Andy Hone/Motorsport Photos
With the competitors fierce up and down the grid all season lengthy, Piastri spoke about what it takes to search out any edge he can.
“I feel all of it simply exhausting work, actually. There’s the staff round you attempting to get probably the most out of the automotive. Clearly, it’s not simply right down to the driving force, it’s right down to the automotive, as properly. However I feel working along with the staff to attempt to get the most effective mixture of the 2 is essential. I feel it’s lots of exhausting work. In fact there may be your coaching and searching in your vitality. There are lots of issues the place I don’t know should you can essentially acquire an edge, however you’ll be able to lose an edge. I’m attempting to just be sure you are on prime of all these issues. The largest factor, by far, is working with the staff to be as ready as doable once you’re on monitor.”
With the curtain about to return down on the 2024 F1 season, Piastri, nonetheless eager to optimize the previous GP of the 12 months is already placing a watch on 2025
“In 2025, hopefully, I’ll be combating for each world championships. In fact it will depend on what sort of automotive we now have and what automotive our rivals have gotten. I feel that’s undoubtedly the hope and positively what I’ll be getting ready for within the low season.
“I feel this 12 months I’ve made some actually good steps ahead from my rookie season. Particularly within the races, I really feel like we’ve taken a superb step ahead. Nonetheless, I additionally really feel that I’ve made too many races too tough for myself in qualifying. I’m needing to make progress within the races via the sector. I feel that if I can tidy that up and begin a bit increased up in many of the races, that might make life simpler. I feel that’s most likely the most important space to enhance on for subsequent 12 months.”
