McLaren's half-century in Formula 1 has brought as many ups as downs, combining world titles and iconic cars with scandal and under-performance.

Though they have struggled in recent years McLaren can still call themselves Formula 1’s second most successful team, with only Ferrari eclipsing their stellar record in the sport.

Even that description might disappoint the man who orchestrated much of their glory. After all, Ron Dennis was known to dismiss second place as “first of the losers.”

Senna and Dennis enjoyed incredible success together at McLaren | Sutton Images Senna and Dennis enjoyed incredible success together at McLaren | Sutton Images

But with 182 race wins, 155 pole positions and a combined 20 world titles, McLaren's special status is assured. Their list of drivers includes legends of the sport like Senna, Prost, Hamilton and Hakkinen, while Dennis attracted admirers and enemies alike during often-controversial spell at the top. There has been success and scandal in a story that stretches back more than half a century.

BRUCE'S BOYS

McLaren’s origins can be found in New Zealand. Born in Auckland in 1937, Bruce McLaren began racing as a teenager and rapidly made his way towards the international grand prix scene.

McLaren cut his teeth racing for Cooper. | © The Cahier Archive 2017 McLaren cut his teeth racing for Cooper. | © The Cahier Archive 2017

He got there very quickly. Debuting just shy of his 21st birthday, Bruce raced for Cooper between 1958 and 1965 and took his maiden race win at the 1959 season finale at Sebring. He was world championship runner-up in 1960 and third in 1962

He also earned success in other categories, including Can-Am, sportscars and the Tasman Series. Like many of his contemporaries, Bruce raced whatever he could get his hands on.

Bruce taking it easy between stints in the car. | © Peter Darley Bruce taking it easy between stints in the car. | © Peter Darley

But he was more than just a talented driver: Bruce was a shrewd operator with an excellent engineering brain. And so in 1966, still in his twenties, he set up his own F1 team. Bruce McLaren Motor Racing was born.

The striking orange McLaren, piloted by the team's founder at Silverstone in 1969 | Sutton Images The striking orange McLaren, piloted by the team's founder at Silverstone in 1969 | Sutton Images

The first two seasons yielded no success, though in 1966 Bruce won the Le Mans 24 Hours with fellow countryman Chris Amon aboard a Ford GT40.

In 1968 the F1 outfit received a major boost when Bruce was joined by another Kiwi, Denny Hulme, who had just secured the world title for Brabham.

Hulme and McLaren | © The Cahier Archive 2017 Hulme and McLaren | © The Cahier Archive 2017

This was to be the team’s breakthrough year. Bruce grabbed their first win at Spa before Hulme added two more later in the season, and McLaren ended the year as constructors’ championship runners-up.

The McLaren of Hulme (car #5) accelerates away from the line at Silverstone in 1969 | © The Cahier Archive 2017 The McLaren of Hulme (car #5) accelerates away from the line at Silverstone in 1969 | © The Cahier Archive 2017

In 1969 Bruce was consistent on his way to third in the standings while Hulme won in Mexico. The Kiwi super-team appeared to be the coming force of grand prix racing.

McLaren celebrates his team's first world championship win at Spa in 1968. His legacy in F1 continues to this day. | Sutton Images McLaren celebrates his team's first world championship win at Spa in 1968. His legacy in F1 continues to this day. | Sutton Images

But McLaren’s ascent was halted in tragic circumstances. In June 1970 Bruce was killed testing the team's new Can-Am car at Goodwood. McLaren had lost their founder and a world-class driver.

CONQUERING THE WORLD

Following Bruce’s death his business partner Teddy Mayer took over control of the team. McLaren struggled in the first full year after their founder’s death, but in 1972 and 1973 they rallied and were third in the standings.

With Bruce gone Hulme led McLaren on-track. Alastair Caldwell (right) was team manager between 1974 and 1978. | © Peter Darley With Bruce gone Hulme led McLaren on-track. Alastair Caldwell (right) was team manager between 1974 and 1978. | © Peter Darley

Emerson Fittipaldi joined the team for 1974 and clinched the team’s first drivers’ title thanks to wins in Brazil, Belgium and Canada. That same year Marlboro logos first appeared on the car, beginning an iconic sponsorship deal that would last more than 20 years.

Fittipaldi aboard the 1975 McLaren, complete with Marlboro livery | Sutton Images Fittipaldi aboard the 1975 McLaren, complete with Marlboro livery | Sutton Images

The good times continued as James Hunt became world champion in 1976, but they didn’t last for long. By 1980 the team had hit a particularly low ebb, scoring no podiums and finishing ninth in the constructors standings. Given the money they were investing, Marlboro were not happy.

Hunt's 1976 title triumph was followed by a decline in fortunes for McLaren, leading Marlboro to force a change within the team | Sutton Images Hunt's 1976 title triumph was followed by a decline in fortunes for McLaren, leading Marlboro to force a change within the team | Sutton Images

And so they orchestrated a change. Late in 1980 the team was revamped, with Ron Dennis arriving as the new boss.

A young Ron with designer John Barnard and driver John Watson, who won the first race of the Dennis era at McLaren in 1981 | Sutton Images A young Ron with designer John Barnard and driver John Watson, who won the first race of the Dennis era at McLaren in 1981 | Sutton Images

RON'S REVOLUTION

The obsessive and incredibly driven Dennis brought about dramatic change at McLaren. In 1982 he tempted two-time world champion Niki Lauda out of retirement, earning almost instant success for the team. In 1984 he paired the wily old Austrian with the emerging Alain Prost and was handsomely rewarded.

Lauda came out of retirement to race for McLaren and was eventually rewarded with his third world title | © The Cahier Archive 2017 Lauda came out of retirement to race for McLaren and was eventually rewarded with his third world title | © The Cahier Archive 2017

Dennis had not just hired shrewdly on the driver front. In 1980 he recruited designer John Barnard, who created a series of innovative and highly successful McLaren grand prix cars.

Lauda won the 1984 championship by half a point, but Prost was the coming man and secured successive titles in 1985 and 1986. McLaren had entered their most successful period – and the best was yet to come.

Prost won three world titles for McLaren. Without Senna, he might have doubled that number. | © The Cahier Archive 2017 Prost won three world titles for McLaren. Without Senna, he might have doubled that number. | © The Cahier Archive 2017

Barnard departed in 1986 after falling out with Dennis, but Steve Nichols and Gordon Murray arrived in his place and pushed the team to even greater heights.

Ayrton Senna joined Prost in 1988, giving McLaren by far the most potent line-up in F1, with a new engine partner also arriving in the form of Honda.

Murray, Senna and Nichols study a telemetry print-out. | Sutton Images Murray, Senna and Nichols study a telemetry print-out. | Sutton Images

The Prost-Senna pairing was hugely combustible, but it drove both men to stratospheric levels of greatness. Senna was champion in 1988 and Prost in 1989, the latter following their era-defining collision at Suzuka.

The McLarens do battle at Monaco in 1989. Senna, of course, leads the way. | © The Cahier Archive 2017 The McLarens do battle at Monaco in 1989. Senna, of course, leads the way. | © The Cahier Archive 2017

Prost departed for Ferrari, leaving Senna – now McLaren’s unquestioned number one – to secure two more world championships in succession. Dennis and his team could look back on a run of seven drivers’ titles in eight years.

Prost and Senna, wheel-to-wheel again, this time at Imola. | © The Cahier Archive 2017 Prost and Senna, wheel-to-wheel again, this time at Imola. | © The Cahier Archive 2017

THE MERCEDES YEARS

By 1994 Senna, Honda and many of the design team that sculpted McLaren’s success had departed. They still had assets – notably the rapid young Finn Mika Hakkinen – but it wasn’t until Mercedes engines arrived in 1995 that they began to return to form.

Their journey was not a simple one. In qualifying for the 1995 Australian Grand Prix Hakkinen crashed heavily. The Finn was severely injured, with only the quick intervention of trackside medical workers saving his life. Fortunately, he would make a full recovery.

Hakkinen at Adelaide in 1993. The Finn was fortunate to survive his huge accident at the track two years later. | Sutton Images Hakkinen at Adelaide in 1993. The Finn was fortunate to survive his huge accident at the track two years later. | Sutton Images

After 1996 McLaren’s long relationship with Marlboro ended and, partly in deference to their new engine partners, the cars adopted a silver livery.

As well as a fresh paint job, McLaren also signed a new young driver around this time. It would be a few years before he found himself behind the wheel of a grand prix car, but it was to prove well worth the wait.

Dennis with 13-year-old Lewis Hamilton, who debuted for McLaren nine years later. | Sutton Image Dennis with 13-year-old Lewis Hamilton, who debuted for McLaren nine years later. | Sutton Image

By the mid-nineties McLaren had been supplanted as F1’s most successful team by Williams, who benefited hugely from the genius of designer Adrian Newey. In classic Dennis style McLaren poached him from their rivals in 1997, and the revival stepped up a gear.

The first true Newey car came in 1998 and it was yet another masterpiece. Hakkinen eventually beat Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher to the title and repeated the feat in 1999. McLaren were back on top, a triumph made all the sweeter by Hakkinen’s recovery.

Hakkinen aboard his title-winning 1998 McLaren-Mercedes, arguably the best car the team has produced post-1988 | © The Cahier Archive 2017 Hakkinen aboard his title-winning 1998 McLaren-Mercedes, arguably the best car the team has produced post-1988 | © The Cahier Archive 2017

Ferrari eclipsed them as the new millennium dawned but McLaren remained F1’s second team, regularly winning races with star drivers like Kimi Raikkonen, David Coulthard and Juan Pablo Montoya.

Newey departed after the 2005 season and by 2007 McLaren had reinvented themselves, with reigning two-time champion Fernando Alonso in the car alongside superstar rookie Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton and Alonso were all smiles after the season-opening race. It didn't last long. | Sutton Images Hamilton and Alonso were all smiles after the season-opening race. It didn't last long. | Sutton Images

If they were hoping to recreate Prost-Senna, McLaren were successful – to a degree. Though history will remember Lewis and Fernando as all-time greats, the 2007 season was a missed opportunity as the two took points off one another. Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen swooped, stealing the title by a single point.

Angered by what he felt was preferential treatment for Hamilton, Alonso also helped to publicise the illegal passing off technical information from Ferrari to McLaren. McLaren were thrown out of the constructors’ championship and fined a record $100m.

By the Hungarian Grand Prix the Hamilton-Alonso relationship had come to resemble Prost-Senna at its worst | Sutton Images By the Hungarian Grand Prix the Hamilton-Alonso relationship had come to resemble Prost-Senna at its worst | Sutton Images

The dislike for Dennis within the sport was made clear by FIA President Max Mosley, who is reported to have quipped that the fine was “$5 million for the offence, and $95 million for Ron being a tw*t.”

But Dennis had his revenge in 2008 when Hamilton snatched the title from Ferrari’s Felipe Massa in the most dramatic finale in F1 history. McLaren were world champions again after almost a decade.

Hamilton became F1's youngest champion in 2008, though his record was broken just two years later by Sebastian Vettel. | Sutton Images Hamilton became F1's youngest champion in 2008, though his record was broken just two years later by Sebastian Vettel. | Sutton Images

GOING RETRO, HOPING FOR A REVIVAL

To date, however, that was their final success. They remained competitive for the next few seasons, with the British super-team of Hamilton and Jenson Button winning 18 races between 2010 and 2012. But this brought no titles and the decline accelerated when Hamilton departed for Mercedes in 2013. McLaren haven’t won a race since.

McLaren are winless since Button's 2012 triumph in Brazil. | Sutton Images McLaren are winless since Button's 2012 triumph in Brazil. | Sutton Images

In 2015 McLaren began a new era with a pair of old acquaintances, reuniting with engine supplier Honda and – more surprisingly – re-signing Fernando Alonso.

But while they enjoyed great success with the Japanese manufacturer during the eighties and nineties, the modern incarnation of McLaren-Honda has been little short of a disaster, with terrible reliability and a stark lack of power. McLaren are now more than three years without a podium – the longest run in their history.

Alonso has excelled in sub-par McLarens, though he's tended to make his frustrations very public. | Sutton Images Alonso has excelled in sub-par McLarens, though he's tended to make his frustrations very public. | Sutton Images

Alonso’s return has been the only bright light, with the Spaniard producing some incredible drives. After the acrimony of his first spell, Fernando has redeemed himself at McLaren.

The team’s latest transformation was completed in 2017, with Dennis forced from the leadership and Zak Brown installed in his place. In a further post-Dennis move, the team reverted to the orange livery first run by founder Bruce McLaren in the sixties.

Brown allowed Alonso to skip Monaco and contest the Indy 500, a very clear break from Dennis' management style. | Sutton Images Brown allowed Alonso to skip Monaco and contest the Indy 500, a very clear break from Dennis' management style. | Sutton Images

The symbolism of this clearly suggests a new beginning that retains old values. But in a sport that moves as fast at F1, there is no guarantee that this once-great team can return to their past glories.

© Peter Darley © Peter Darley

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Images from the Cahier Archive can be found in Formula One: The Pursuit of Speed: A Photographic Celebration of F1's Greatest Moments, published by Aurum. Click here for buying options.

Images by Peter Darley can be found in Pit & Paddock: Behind the Scenes at UK and European Circuits in the 60s and 70s, published by Aurum. Buying options can be found here.