Recently I learned of a surprising fact on the internet in regards to the recently completed 2012 season and McLaren. Perhaps you have heard already, but if not it goes something like this: After a McLaren win, that driver, be it Jenson or Lewis, would not score points in the following race and most often wouldn’t even finish!

The Formula 1 season started with a Jenson Button win in Australia. At the next race in Malaysia Button would fall from the 2nd spot on the starting grid to 14th and a finish outside of the points. This would prove to be the best result for a McLaren driver during the 2012 season after winning a race.

Lewis Hamilton became the seventh different driver to win in as many races in Canada. Valencia, with the help of Maldonado, would see Hamilton end up in 19th after also starting 2nd, due to an accident on lap 56. From here it would get even worse for McLaren drivers in races after a win. One could even start to use the word “curse.”

McLaren drivers would dominate during the month of September with Hamilton winning at Hungary and Italy and Button splitting those wins with one of his own in Belgium. Hamilton fell victim to the horrific Turn 1 crash caused by Grosjean in Belgium and was retired in Singapore due to a gearbox issue. Problems with the fuel system finished Button's race early in Italy - did I mention he started the race from the number two position?

Formula 1 returned to the United States in November with Hamilton driving to a win in Austin. A week later in Brazil, Hülkenberg would slip while trying to make a move on Hamilton on lap 55. The Force India car hit the McLaren breaking the front left tire off resulting in the fourth consecutive retirement for a McLaren driver after a win.

The season closed with Button, who started on the front row in the number 2 spot, taking the final checkered flag in Brazil. Hopefully during the short off season McLaren has time to dispel this curse of first to burst.