McLaren clinched its first F1 Constructors’ Championship since 1998 at the season finale in Abu Dhabi last weekend, prompting some rather extravagant celebrations. While many might have assumed the team stayed in the city to mark the occasion, they were flown out on a private jet to Bahrain instead.
Bahrain’s Prince, Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, hosted everyone associated with the papaya outfit barring the catering team, as revealed by veteran photojournalist Kym Illman earlier this week.
But why would the prince of a foreign country extend such a warm gesture to a British team? The reason lies in ownership: the Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company—the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom of Bahrain—holds the majority stake in McLaren.
McLaren’s INSANE F1 celebration! https://t.co/8zclhVDnlI#ad #paidpromotion #f1 #f12024 #abudhabigp #mclaren
— Kym Illman (@KymIllman) December 9, 2024
Illman further added that before their Bahrain festivities began, the team also had a short celebration in their garage at the Yas Marina Circuit.
Everyone at McLaren wore special T-shirts with the label ‘2024 World Constructors’ Champions McLaren Formula 1 Team’. There was also “raucous laughter and cheering” in the garage while the McLaren employees waited for race winner Lando Norris to return from his press conference duties.
Once he arrived, they clicked pictures with the Crown Prince and were interestingly also joined by British actor Jason Statham. A championship win is huge for any side but perhaps none more so than for McLaren — who had to wait 26 years for a night like this.
McLaren’s 2024 title win was far from easy
McLaren did not dominate 2024 by any means. They had to fend off Red Bull and Ferrari to achieve glory, with their win only being settled in the finale.
What perhaps made McLaren’s victory this year all the more special was that, at the halfway point of the season, they were the least favorite among these three teams to lift the championship. After round 12 in Great Britain, McLaren had managed just one win — Norris’ maiden victory in Miami.
In stark contrast, 2024 Drivers’ Champion Max Verstappen won seven races for Red Bull during this period. Ferrari won two, with both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz each securing one, and Mercedes also won two, thanks to Lewis Hamilton and George Russell each winning one.
However, what followed would have likely caught McLaren by surprise. In the second half of the season, McLaren emerged as the strongest team, winning five races (three for Norris and two for Oscar Piastri).
With McLaren winning the title, they will also earn the largest portion of the team prize pot — $140 million. Meanwhile, Ferrari will receive $131 million for finishing second, while Red Bull will earn $122 million for finishing third.
