8 events that happened since McLaren last won F1 Constructors title

McLaren are constructor’s champions as they pipped Ferrari to the constructor’s title in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, marking their first win since 1998. What has happened in the world since McLaren last won the championship?

Feature image credit: McLaren Racing

1 – Y2K Scare – January 1, 2000

Many feared the world was going to crumble and crash down as civilisation headed towards the new millennium. 

Worries spanned towards the computers having an incorrect date and being unable to operate unless their software was repaired or replaced before the millennium. 

2 – September 11 – September 11, 2001

The war on terrorism began on September 11 as 19 terrorists from al-Qaeda, an Islamic extremist group, when four commercial flights were hijacked. 

Two planes crashed into the Twin Towers in New York City, one into the Pentagon and a fourth crashed into an empty field in Pennsylvania. A total of 2,977 people were killed in the attacks; 2,753 in New York City, 184 at the Pentagon and 40 in the Pennsylvania crash.

3 – Boxing Day Tsunami – December 26, 2004

On December 26, 2004, the world witnessed devastation after a 9.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. This triggered a powerful tsunami which devastated coastal areas with a height of 30ft in some locations.

It was reported as one of the largest natural disasters in recorded history, killing 228,000 people across 15 countries such as Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Maldives and Thailand sustaining massive damage.

Image above: The Twin Towers, in New York City, USA, after being struck by two commercial flights (American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175) which were hijacked by al-Qaeda terrorists.

4 – 7/7 – July 7, 2005

On July 7, 2005, four terrorists attacked the capital city of England with suicide bombers killing themselves and others, injuring more, on the London underground tunnels and on the top floor of a double decker bus.

A total of 52 people were killed in the attack whilst over 770 people were injured. Al-Qaeda reportedly took partial responsibility for the attack.

5 – Financial crash of 2008 – September 15, 2008

The infamous Financial crash of 2008 began a year prior to the stock market crashing in 2008. 

Many factors have been hinted at as a result of the financial crash such as a housing bubble, excessive risk-taking with lending and financial institutions failing, requiring a governmental bailout.

6 – Japanese Earthquake – March 11, 2011

Japan had two disasters to contend with in March 2011 after the country was hit with a 9.0 magnitude earthquake on its north-eastern coast. This resulted in a devastating tsunami hitting the east coast within 30 minutes that overtopped seawalls.

In the events that followed, Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant suffered a meltdown which resulted in the second-worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.

Image above: Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant which suffered a meltdown in 2011 following the earthquake and tsunami. The meltdown resulted in an maximum exclusion zone of 311.5 square miles which has reduced as time has continued.

7 – Death of Osama Bin Laden – May 2, 2011 

Osama bin Laden, leader of the al-Qaeda terrorist group was killed by United States Special Forces when they conducted a raid early in the morning, in Pakistan, on May 2, 2011. 

Eliminating the terrorist leader was a significant milestone in the United States’ ‘War on Terror’ following President George Bush’s vow to respond to the 9/11 attacks in New York City, the Pentagon and crashed flight in Pennsylvania.

8 – COVID-19 declared global pandemic – March 11, 2020

The world seemed to come to a standstill when the Coronavirus Pandemic, COVID-19, erupted in 2020. The virus spread from person to person which resulted in the outbreak to spread globally.

It was first detected in Wuhan, China which resulted in the eastern country to lock down its population of which the rest of the world followed suit before relaxing their lockdown protocols. According to the World Health Organisation 7.1 million people have died from COVID-19 since the outbreak started.

Read more Formula 1 here:

• Why is the post-season Abu Dhabi F1 test important?
• FIA confirm details of Max Verstappen’s swearing penalty punishment
• Who Finished Where: F1 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
• Norris wins F1 Abu Dhabi GP securing McLaren constructors title
• Hamilton to go to grid after F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix per post-race procedure
• Hulkenberg slapped with three-place grid penalty for overtaking on pit exit

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Kamron Kent

Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.

I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.

Kamron Kent

Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.