The start of McLaren's 21st century decline

At the turn of the century, McLaren seemed to have all the ingredients for lasting Formula 1 success. Instead, opportunities were missed and bridges were burned.

Damien Smith Apr 8, 2019, 10:41 AM

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Somewhere in a parallel Formula 1 universe, Adrian Newey never left McLaren. He never lost his mojo, never felt undermined, and was given the trust he craved to conceive, design and build racing cars to his sole vision. There was never any need for him to join Red Bull.

In that universe, Newey's first constructors' crown with McLaren - delivered courtesy of the majestic MP4-13 in 1998 - was simply the first in a string of glories rather than an increasingly stark landmark, 21 long years later, as the team's last.