When Andrea Stella took over as McLaren Team Principal at the end of last year, he inherited a solid foundation laid down by Andreas Seidl. Seidl’s tenure, which runs from 2019 to 2022, was marked by a strategic overhaul and a significant cultural shift. This groundwork has played a crucial role in McLaren’s recent rise in the competitive world of Formula 1.

Under Stella’s leadership, McLaren has continued to transform. A key move in early 2023 was a major restructuring of the engineering department, which improved the team’s performance and competitiveness. This change was central to McLaren’s impressive performance turnaround in the early summer.

 

Norris’ praise for Stella

Lando Norris, McLaren’s star driver, has been vocal in his appreciation of Stella’s leadership. In a recent interview, Norris expressed his gratitude not only to Stella, but to the entire McLaren team, recognising the collective effort behind the team’s progress.

“Andrea is the director of it all, the producer of the set, and everyone else is the cast,” said Norris, acknowledging Stella’s significant role in orchestrating the team’s efforts towards success.

 

 

 

McLaren’s future prospects

Looking ahead to the 2024 season, McLaren will enter its first campaign with a full technical structure in place. This will include the expertise of David Sanchez and Rob Marshall, who will join the team as technical and design chiefs. The team will also benefit from its new in-house wind tunnel, a significant improvement on its reliance on external facilities.

These improvements will not only be crucial to the team’s performance, but could also play a key role in persuading Norris to extend his contract beyond 2025.

Norris’ outlook for the future at McLaren is decidedly positive. He is looking forward to the contributions of the new recruits and believes the team is on the right track.

“I’m excited because we’re finally on the right track and we know what direction we’re going in,” Norris concluded, reflecting his optimism and confidence in the direction of McLaren under Stella’s leadership. This optimism and confidence has been reflected back at Norris by Stella.

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Stella names ‘best drivers in F1’

McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella has made a notable omission in his selection of the top three Formula One drivers, leaving out Lewis Hamilton despite the British driver’s impressive track record.

In a perhaps unsurprising twist, Stella named Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso and his own driver Lando Norris as the cream of the current F1 crop when placed in the same machine.

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Hamilton’s performance overlooked

Lewis Hamilton, a name synonymous with success in F1, finished third in the 2023 Drivers’ Championship, marking a season of consistency with six podiums and a number of top-ten finishes. Notably, his only two setbacks were a disqualification in Austin and a DNF in Qatar.

Despite these successes, Hamilton didn’t make it into Stella’s top three, which has raised eyebrows in the F1 community.

 

 

 

Lando Norris: The rising star

Lando Norris, the 24-year-old McLaren driver, emerged as a major force in the 2023 season. He secured seven podiums in the second half of the season, helping McLaren to a commendable fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship.

Stella’s high regard for Norris is evident as he believes the young Briton is capable of challenging for the championship with a competitive car.

“Lando is already one of the best drivers on the grid,” says Stella,

“He is very fast, very good in the race, with tire management… When I think about Lando, I think that if the team and I gave him a good car, he would be able to fight for the championship.”

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Stella’s praise for Alonso and Piastri

Stella is also full of praise for Fernando Alonso, praising him for his wide range of skills and lack of weaknesses. He sees Alonso as an exceptionally well-rounded driver, well-versed in all aspects of racing.

“When we talk about being the most complete, I definitely think of Fernando Alonso,” admits Stella,

“He basically has no weaknesses. I think this makes him unique. He is not the best in many things, but he is very strong in all of them. I think that in Oscar I see his powerful mind. He is definitely like Fernando. He can do mathematical calculations while driving.”

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McLaren’s drivers are the best

Oscar Piastri, McLaren’s rookie sensation, was also praised for his impressive mental acumen and ability to make complex calculations while driving, drawing comparisons to Alonso.

“Oscar [Piastri] is talented and let me say intelligent. His brain capabilities are very high. He has very interesting characteristics. I would say that he is very calm.” says Stella.

Stella finishes by concluding that “[]…Lando, I think his development as a driver will make him so complete. He reminds me a little of Fernando. My top 3 drivers with the same cars would be Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso.”

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The exclusion of Hamilton: A significant statement

The exclusion of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton from Stella’s list is a significant statement. It highlights the emerging talents of Norris and Piastri, and recognises the enduring ability of veterans such as Alonso. No doubt Hamilton’s lacklustre performances over the last two seasons have had a bearing on this view from Stella.

With both Norris and Piastri secured for the coming seasons, McLaren appear to be strategically positioning themselves for future championship contention. Piastri’s rookie season, touted as the most remarkable debut since Hamilton’s in 2007, combined with Norris’ emerging status as a top driver, sets an optimistic tone for McLaren’s future in F1.

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