"Normally that kind of improvement in performance should take around five years"

McLaren were able to secure third place in the Constructors' Championship after a rock-solid final Grand Prix in 2020. Two-time world champion Mika Hakkinen was full of praise for the British team.

"One of the biggest stories to emerge from Abu Dhabi was McLaren’s success in taking 3rd place in the team’s championship," said Hakkinen in his column for Unibet. Hakkinen praised the work of Zak Brown and Andreas Seidl who have made huge strides with the team since 2017. "Normally that kind of improvement in performance should take around five years."

Last chance in Abu Dhabi

According to the Finn, McLaren also benefited from the speed, personality and excellent relationship between drivers Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz. "Lando produced a fantastic lap in Abu Dhabi qualifying to line up fourth on the grid alongside Lewis Hamilton."

Everything had to be right in Abu Dhabi for McLaren, after Sergio Perez won the Sakhir GP for rival Racing point. "It was really important for McLaren to enjoy a smooth, well run race, in order to take third place in the championship away from their rivals. That is exactly what they did," concluded Hakkinen.