McLaren's 1,000th GP: The 'extra race' confusion explained

McLaren is set to celebrate its 1,000th Formula 1 grand prix start at this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix, but the exact figure has sparked confusion. The team counts the infamous 2005 United States Grand Prix as part of its tally, despite its drivers – Juan Pablo Montoya and Kimi Räikkönen – pulling out after the formation lap due to tire safety concerns. This decision creates a discrepancy with some external counts that list McLaren on 998 starts entering Monaco.

Why it matters:

McLaren becomes only the second team after Ferrari to reach 1,000 F1 starts, underscoring its enduring legacy since Bruce McLaren entered the sport at Monaco in 1966. The milestone highlights the team's resilience through decades of success and struggles, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri carrying the banner into the modern era.

The details:

• McLaren officially counts the 2005 US GP as its 586th start because Montoya and Räikkönen took the green light to begin the formation lap, fulfilling the technical definition of a "start."
• The race is notorious: only six cars (Bridgestone runners) actually competed after Michelin teams withdrew, but McLaren still logs it as an entry in their internal record.
• Key distinction: In the 2026 Chinese GP, Norris and Piastri failed to start the formation lap – Norris stuck in the garage, Piastri wheeled off the grid due to electrical issues. That race is not counted.
• Over 60 years, McLaren has failed to start only four other grands prix: the 1966 Belgian and Dutch GPs (both Bruce's car), the 1983 Monaco GP (both drivers DNQ), and the 2026 Chinese GP.

What's next:

Monaco is the fitting backdrop for McLaren's 1,000th, where Bruce McLaren himself drove in his first F1 race. Despite the counting debate, the team will honor the milestone this weekend, with Barcelona set to be the official 1,000th by some calculations – but for McLaren, the celebration starts now.