Liam Lawson considers it ‘absolute nonsense’ that the British national anthem is played when a McLaren driver wins. He acknowledges that the McLaren factory has been located in Woking, England for many years, but emphasizes that founder Bruce McLaren – like himself – was a proud New Zealander. In the future, he would like to hear God Defend New Zealand played instead.
This year, the McLaren team won a Grand Prix for the first time since 2021; Lando Norris climbed to the top step of the podium in Miami. Since both the driver and the team were racing under the British flag in this case, fans were treated to the British national anthem. When Oscar Piastri achieved his first victory in Hungary, both the Australian and British national anthems were played in succession.
‘McLaren is a New Zealand team’
“Absolute nonsense,” said Liam Lawson on The Red Flags podcast. The New Zealander believes that the New Zealand national anthem should be played when McLaren wins. “It makes no sense at all,” he continued. “It’s a New Zealand team; the name is still McLaren. I honestly don’t understand it at all.”
McLaren was founded in 1963 by New Zealand driver Bruce McLaren, although the factory was built in England. Lawson understands that the operations are still run from Woking, but notes that other teams stick to their roots. “Red Bull plays the Austrian national anthem, even though the team is based in the United Kingdom,” he cited as an example. “McLaren may be based in England, but it’s a New Zealand team. For New Zealanders, it’s absolute nonsense that they play God Save the King. Bruce McLaren is an absolute legend to us.
