| The start of the 2007 formula season has seen | | | | legacy they wouldn't see another race win for |
| the spotlight fall firmly on the McLaren Formula | | | | two years. Finally at the South African grand prix |
| One team with the arrival Lewis Hamilton on the | | | | in 1972 Denny Hulme, former world champion, |
| scene. With his incredible success so far in his | | | | recorded his first race win for McLaren since |
| debut season and a few controversies along the | | | | Bruce's death.. |
| way, McLaren has barely been out of the sports | | | | 1974 saw a turnaround in the teams fortunes. |
| news pages. | | | | Emerson Fittipaldi joined the team and with his |
| However this success is not new for the team. | | | | driving managed to win their first world |
| During its history the team has won 8 | | | | constructors title as well as the world drivers title. |
| constructors championships and 11 drivers | | | | They even managed to win the Indianapolis 500 in |
| championships with motor sport legends such as | | | | the same year. The team's next championship win |
| Emerson Fittipaldi, James Hunt, Ayrton Senna and | | | | came in 1976 with James Hunt taking over from |
| more recently Mika Häkkinen. In fact they | | | | Fittipaldi and taking the drivers championship. |
| are the second most successful formula one | | | | . |
| team after Ferrari, with more Grand Prix wins | | | | By the 1980's McLaren were back on form. The |
| under their belt than any other constructor other | | | | McLaren team merged with Ron Dennis' Formula |
| than Ferrari. | | | | 2 team to from the current McLaren F1 team |
| The team was founded in 1963 by New | | | | and they began their dominance of Formula one. |
| Zealander Bruce McLaren and was at that time | | | | A succession of top drivers over the next few |
| know as Bruce McLaren Motor Racing limited. | | | | years, the likes of Niki Lauda, Alain Prost and |
| They spent their first three years building a | | | | Ayrton Senna brought great results with McLaren |
| formula one car and were finally ready to make | | | | taking the championship in 1984, 1985, 1988 and |
| their debut at the Monaco Grand Prix of 1966 | | | | 1989. Team mates Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost |
| with the team founder at the wheel The first | | | | achieved the highest number of double race wins |
| race ended in failure as a result of a serious oil | | | | of any pair in F1, notching up 14 wins between |
| leak however the team went on to score their | | | | them in 1988 and 1989. This partnership holds the |
| first championship point later that year. !968 saw | | | | record for the most wins in a season, winning 15 |
| the team score their first race win as Bruce | | | | out of the 16 races in 1988. 1988 was seen as |
| piloted the McLaren Ford to victory in Belgium. | | | | the pinnacle of their success to date. The winning |
| They then went on to record further wins in Italy | | | | combination of Senna & Prost together with |
| and Canada later that year. | | | | class leading new Honda engine meant that not |
| The 1970s started in tragedy for McLaren as | | | | only did they win all but one race, they also led all |
| Bruce McLaren lost his life in a testing accident at | | | | but 27 laps of the season, a record still unbeaten |
| Goodwood. Although the team continued his | | | | today. |