ANALYSIS: How have the top teams evolved in recent seasons?
With the first F1 race completed in 2025, F1Technical's senior writer Balazs Szabo takes a look at how the top teams have performed across the past four seasons.
The season-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix saw Lando Norris lead off the line from start to finish, keeping out of trouble to win for the fourth time in 2024, beating Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz.
However, his team-mate Oscar Piastri was involved in a first-corner collision with Max Verstappen which saw both drivers spin out and drop down the order. By contrast, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who started from the back of the field, had a sensational first lap, climbing up the order to P8 and end the season with a third place.
Despite Ferrari's double podium finish, it was enough for McLaren to clinch their first Constructors' title since the 1998 title, beating the Scuderia by only 14 points in the end.
Reflecting on the papaya outfit's achievement, McLaren team boss Andrea Stella explained that the result is down to the "hard work and dedication" of the team members.
“McLaren are the 2024 Constructors’ Championship winners. I’m incredibly proud of the entire team here, both trackside and back at the factory. It’s been 26 years since we’ve won the Championship. It’s a wonderful feeling this evening. Our work has paid off and we’ll be celebrating with everyone.
“I would like to give my thanks to each and everyone in the team for their hard work and dedication, and to our shareholders, partners and fans, for their unwavering support. I’d also like to thank our colleagues at HPP for the successful collaboration. It’s been a hard-fought Championship.
"Well done to Ferrari who drove a really good race today as well, and were great competitors. It won’t be long until we are head down into next year, but until then, we’ll make sure to take in every moment and celebrate our win.”
The 2021 F1 season brought the last set of technical regulation to a close. That season saw Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen fight for the world championship, with the Dutchman coming out on top in the season-closing Abu Dhabi race. However, Mercedes collected more points in 2021 which handed them their eighth Constructors' Championship title.
With the introduction of the ground-effect cars, the pecking order significantly changed. Ferrari started the new technical era as the strongest team, but wrong decisions regarding strategy, development plans and reliability issues held the team back, which enabled Red Bull to secure their first championship title since 2013.
In 2023, Red Bull got even stronger, winning the teams' title with an even bigger margin. While Ferrari and Mercedes were tightly matched that year, McLaren managed to close in on them thanks to their heavily improved form.
The 2024 F1 season brought the closest championship in recent years. McLaren narrowly beat Ferrari in the end, with Red Bull dropping back to third. Interestingly, Mercedes scored more points than in 2023, but the improved form of their rivals meant that they finished only fourth in the standings.
