Since its introduction in 1958, 170 chassis constructors have despatched automobiles 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 the moment 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 will be the icing on the cake,” stated Piastri, who’s presently fourth within the drivers’ standings with 2024 grand prix victories at Hungary and Azerbaijan
In his second yr as a McLaren F1 racer, Piastri is proud to be a member of the group fashioned 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 crew 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,” stated the Australian. “Whenever you look again to earlier than I used to be born and the historical past of the crew, it is extremely unimaginable to be becoming a member of the listing of McLaren drivers now and the listing of world champions that we’ve had as a crew. I feel much more myself and watching McLaren whereas I used to be rising up, I’ve all the time favored the very, very outdated McLaren automobiles that you just couldn’t miss out on the monitor.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 happy with from his sophomore marketing campaign.
“I feel it has undoubtedly been a very good yr. In comparison with final season, we’ve taken a pleasant step ahead as a crew. I additionally suppose for myself, personally, I really feel like I’ve taken a step forwards, as nicely,” Piastri stated. “I’ve acquired a few wins and a variety of podiums, so it has been a hell of a variety of enjoyable, for positive. It has been an excellent season.”
Being such a high-profile driver in a high-profile F1 crew, has Piastri discovered it tough to focus at instances in such a globetrotting sequence?
“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 wish to win races and turn into a world champion. I feel staying centered is fairly easy. In fact it’s a tiring season. It’s a very lengthy season we’ve these days, however I feel whenever you’re preventing proper on the entrance, it makes being motivated very straightforward.”
It takes a variety of behind-the-scenes effort to present Piastri his greatest 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 automobiles onto the grid on each grand prix Sunday.
“Sure, there may be much more behind the scenes that I suppose folks don’t see on TV,” stated Piastri. “I feel ‘Drive To Survive’ has most likely proven a bit little bit of that in the previous couple of years. we’ve a variety of commitments exterior 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 may be powerful. On TV we magically seem from circuit to circuit, however 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 best way throughout the opposite aspect of the world for the subsequent 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 a variety of enjoyable preventing with Ferrari, Purple Bull and Mercedes this season,” stated Piastri. “I feel at instances it was most likely a bit nearer than we might have favored, however I feel it’s actually nice for the game. It has been a very long time since we’ve had such an open season and so many groups preventing for victories. Greater than seven drivers have gained a number of races and it’s the primary time in a variety of years the place there have been so many various 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 yr. We have now a special 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 an opportunity of successful every weekend — or a minimum of being within the struggle 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 seek out any edge he can.
“I feel all of it simply onerous work, actually. There’s the crew round you attempting to get essentially the most out of the automotive. Clearly, it’s not simply all the way down to the motive force, it’s all the way down to the automotive, as nicely. However I feel working along with the crew to attempt to get the perfect mixture of the 2 is essential. I feel it’s a variety of onerous work. In fact there may be your coaching and searching to your power. There are a variety of issues the place I don’t know if you happen to can essentially achieve an edge, however you’ll be able to lose an edge. I’m attempting to just remember to are on high of all these issues. The largest factor, by far, is working with the crew to be as ready as doable whenever you’re on monitor.”
With the curtain about to come back down on the 2024 F1 season, Piastri, nonetheless eager to optimize the previous GP of the yr is already placing a watch on 2025
“In 2025, hopefully, I’ll be preventing for each world championships. In fact it is dependent upon what sort of automotive we’ve and what automotive our rivals have gotten. I feel that’s undoubtedly the hope and definitely what I’ll be making ready for within the low season.
“I feel this yr I’ve made some actually good steps ahead from my rookie season. Particularly within the races, I really feel like we’ve taken a very good 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 larger up in a lot of the races, that will make life simpler. I feel that’s most likely the largest space to enhance on for subsequent yr.”
