McLaren Chief’s Emotional Toast to Gil de Ferran Sparks Team Cheers

McLaren seals the 2025 constructors’ championship at the Singapore Grand Prix, and COO Piers Thynne marks the moment with a toast to Gil de Ferran’s enduring influence on the team.

Thynne recalls a Christmas conversation where de Ferran said the team had every ingredient, and only needed to perfect the recipe to succeed.

He frames the title as validation of that mantra, crediting two seasons of disciplined development, sharper operations, and aligned decision-making across trackside and factory.

De Ferran, a two-time Champ Car champion and 2003 Indianapolis 500 winner, later served McLaren as sporting director and adviser before his death in 2023, aged 56.

CEO Zak Brown mourned a trusted friend and teammate, noting a relationship spanning over two decades and a profound influence on McLaren’s racing values.

On track, McLaren’s consistency and pitwall execution convert opportunities, and the Singapore win mathematically sealed the constructors’ crown with races remaining.

Oscar Piastri holds a 22-point advantage over Lando Norris, with their internal battle pushing standards without destabilising the team’s broader objectives.

Max Verstappen trails the McLaren pair by 41 points, underlining how pressure has shifted, even as Red Bull remains competitive at varying circuit layouts.

Strategically, McLaren balances development for the remaining rounds with groundwork for 2026 regulations, refining concepts within current constraints while safeguarding correlation and reliability.

Thynne credits de Ferran’s mindset for clearer feedback loops and faster decision cadence, bridging design office priorities with race-weekend execution under pressure.

The Singapore celebration reflects unity more than ceremony, with messaging centred on sustaining process discipline rather than indulging in the symbolism of an early title.

From here, objectives focus on banking points, managing component life, and optimising incremental upgrades to maintain momentum across the remaining flyaway events.

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Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.