McLaren won the 2024 World Constructors’ Championship, ending a 26-year drought. It was a season of two halves, showcasing the Woking-based team’s remarkable resurgence as they developed the fastest car on the grid, helping them achieve glory and reaping the rewards of their efforts.
Per RacingNews365, McLaren got $161 million as a result of their triumph, a figure which can now be used to better their car further for 2025.
Last year, it was Red Bull who had cashed out the big amount, since they were winners of the Constructors’ Championship. However, their drop in performance — due to balance issues — coupled with Sergio Perez’s shambolic performances dropped them down to P3.
As a result, Red Bull got $140 million as prize money, which was $11 million less than second-placed Ferrari, another team that found top-level performance in the later stages of 2024. For the longest time, Red Bull looked like it would settle for P2, but the Maranello-based outfit’s consistently good results led by Charles Leclerc made sure that didn’t happen.
Because of this, Red Bull will now enter 2025 with a small dent in their total cash haul.
Importance of Constructors’ Championship
The Drivers’ Championship is great for PR and a personal achievement for the drivers, but the Constructors’ Championship is where the real financial stakes lie. The prize money awarded to teams varies greatly depending on their position in the standings, making it a crucial focus for teams.
For instance, Ferrari will have $11 million more than Red Bull which they can use to develop a better mechanical package.
In that respect, Alpine turned out to be the biggest late-season winner as a double podium finish in Sao Paulo helped them jump from P9 to P6, which was a surprise since they started the year struggling to even get into the points.
The Enstone-based team would have earned $30 million less had they finished ninth, which would have been disastrous in their preparations for the upcoming campaign.
Mercedes ended 2024 with $130 million, finishing fourth behind McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull. Sauber finished last and were compensated with just $69 million, $10 million less than Williams ahead.
