McLaren are one win away from becoming the second team with 200 wins in Formula One.
They are one of the greatest constructors in the sport’s history, and have had some of the best drivers in F1 history behind the wheel of their cars. McLaren have nine Constructors Championships to their name, and look set for a tenth this season.
| Position | Constructors' Standings | Points |
| 1 | McLaren Racing | 516 |
| 2 | Scuderia Ferrari | 248 |
| 3 | Mercedes-AMG Petronas | 220 |
| 4 | Red Bull Racing | 192 |
The great drivers produce great drives, and here we look at five of the best McLaren race wins in their storied history.
5. Ayrton Senna does the greatest lap of all time at
Donington in 1993
Ayrton Senna pulled off what has been described as the greatest lap in the history of F1 at the 1993 European Grand Prix at Donington Park.
Starting fourth on the grid, Senna fell to fifth on the getaway, but carved through the pack to take the lead by lap two in the pouring British rain. He was past two cars by the time they had gotten to the bottom of the hill, passing the legendary Michael Schumacher.
It was already clear he had grip where no one else did. Senna almost crashed into the back of Damon Hill’s Williams, such was his speed compared to the rest of the cars.
By the final sector he was already filling the mirrors of his bitter rival, Alain Prost, in the Ferrari. That was the sweetest overtake of them all, Senna said after the race. He dived down the inside of the hairpin to snatch the lead from fifth.
Senna then charged into the distance, never to be seen again. By the end of the race he had lapped the entire field except for Hill.
Senna was hilariously given a Sonic the Hedgehog trophy for one of the greatest wins of all time, as a marketing opportunity for SEGA.
4. James Hunt wins the 1976 world championship at Suzuka in the dying laps
James Hunt took a dramatic win in the wet at the Japanese Grand Prix to claim the world championship from Niki Lauda in 1976. Hunt had to pull off an overtake in the final laps to claim the title.
Lauda was the championship leader going into the final race, but missed six weeks of the season after a near-fatal crash in Germany. He came back strong, weeks after being given the last rites, and still contended for the championship.
But with the events from earlier in the season still fresh in the memory, Lauda pulled out of the Grand Prix after two laps due to safety concerns in the wet. Hunt knew he needed to finish fourth to win the championship.
He looked set for an easy win, but as the track began to dry he started to lose positions. He fell to third place, then to fifth after he pitted with a tyre problem. He took off after Alan Jones and Clay Regazzoni, needing one overtake for the title.
He got it done on lap 71 of 73, taking both Jones and Regazzoni to finish third. Who knows what would have happened if Lauda didn’t retire, or never crashed in Germany, but Hunt still needed to pull off an incredible drive to win the championship.
3. Lewis Hamilton was the class of the field at the 2008 Silverstone Grand Prix
The 2008 British Grand Prix was arguably Lewis Hamilton’s greatest ever drive. In the pouring rain at his home race, he was the class of the field. No other driver could keep it on the track, but the seven-time world champion was flawless.
In only his second season in the sport, on the way to his first Drivers’ Championship, Hamilton put on a masterclass to take the win by over a minute over second-place. He lapped every driver except two.
Even with the likes of teammate Fernando Alonso, Kimi Räikkönen and Felipe Massa in the faster Ferrari, Hamilton was the only one to master the conditions.
He had well and truly introduced himself as a future all-time great in F1.
2. Ayrton Senna holds off Nigel Mansell at Monaco 1992
Senna, the king of Monaco, put in one of the greatest defensive drives of all time to hold off eventual world champion Nigel Mansell at the 1992 Monaco Grand Prix.
Mansell, the pole-sitter, looked certain for the win throughout most of the race in his Williams. But disaster struck him on lap 70. He suffered a loose wheel nut and was forced into the pits, emerging five seconds behind Senna’s McLaren.
Mansell, on fresh tyres, pulled up to the back of Senna in only two laps, setting a lap record in the process. He was looking for his sixth win in a row, and his first at Monaco.
He harried Senna, practically pushing him around most of the circuit for three laps. But Senna’s knowledge of Monaco, where he had won four times before, meant he could position his McLaren exactly where it was needed.
He held off the rapid Mansell miraculously, and crossed the line just ahead to claim the win.
1. Jenson Button takes the lead on the final lap in chaotic Canadian Grand Prix
The 2011 Canadian Grand Prix saw Jenson Button overtake Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel on the final lap to take victory in the wet. Button pitted an unprecedented six times, retired his teammate Hamilton and came back from last on his way to the win.
Button qualified seventh on the grid, but received a drive-through penalty after a lap 10 collision with Hamilton on the pit straight. That put him to the back of the grid by lap 13.
Rain poured down in the middle of the race, and Button was quick to respond and put on wet tyres. As conditions changed throughout, Button made a flurry of pit stops for different tyres and climbed up the order.
Eventually the rain was too much, and the race was red flagged and suspended for two hours.
After the restart, Button showed impressive pace, which helped him gain places rapidly. He was running in the top five by lap 48. The Brit found grip where no one else could, and cruised past Mark Webber and Schumacher to take second place.
He hunted down Vettel and was right behind him on the final lap. Vettel looked like he was going to hang on for the win before going wide onto a wet patch, allowing Button to pass him on the final lap and take a historic win for McLaren.