Ferrari has been Formula One’s pre-eminent force. A competitive Ferrari has always helped the health of motorsport’s most prestigious category, with a passionate, worldwide fanbase tuning in. But every sport needs a fierce rivalry to get the buzz going.
Ferrari’s closest historical competitor is McLaren, F1’s second-most-successful outfit in terms of wins and championships. The eponymous team, founded by Bruce McLaren, has powered the likes of Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Mika Hakkinen and Lewis Hamilton to titles. More importantly, it is best known as the outfit with which Ayrton Senna, one of F1’s greatest-ever drivers, won his three championships.
A part of F1 folklore The Ferrari-McLaren battles — Senna vs. Prost, Schumacher vs. Hakkinen, and later Raikkonen/Massa/Alonso vs.
Hamilton — are part of F1 folklore. Dynamic duo: McLaren has one of the grid’s stronger driver pairings in Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. | Photo credit: Getty Images However, the eight-time constructors’ champion, which also has 12 drivers’ titles, has endured a decade of underperformance since 2013.
In 2024, though, things are finally looking up for the British team, as it fights for wins and podiums consistently, raising the fans’ excitement level. “It is important for F1 to have a competitive McLaren. After Ferrari, it is the team with the most loyal fanbase, and these are the two teams where the fanbase for them is bigger than their drivers,” says Karun Chandhok, India’s .
