More big news has arrived with confirmation from McLaren that Andrea Stella has agreed a new multi-year deal with the Woking-based squad.
The Italian previously worked as Head of Race Operations and Performance Director, before gaining a promotion to Executive Director, Racing in 2019.
At the end of 2022, Andreas Seidl left his role at team boss to join the Audi project. Stella was given the position as team principal.
Following a shocking start to the 2023 campaign, McLaren’s development path has been absolutely extraordinary. They have won two Grands Prix this year, the first time they’ve won multiple races in one campaign since 2012.
Sitting just 42 points behind Red Bull in the standings in the Constructors’ Championship after the Belgian Grand Prix, the title looks on. It would be their first since 1998.
Stella worked for Ferrari before joining McLaren in 2015. He was part of the extraordinary success they had in the early 2000s, working as a performance engineer for Michael Schumacher and Kimi Räikkönen as they six Drivers’ Championships in that period.
He was also the Finn’s and Fernando Alonso’s race engineer from 2009-2014, coming up agonisingly short with the Spaniard in 2010 and 2012 against Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel.
Andrea Stella, Team Principal, McLaren F1, said: “It’s a privilege to be part of the McLaren Formula 1 team, and I am honoured to continue in my role as Team Principal. We’ve made great strides forward in the past year and a half and we still have a lot more work to do to consistently fight at the front of the grid, which poses an exciting challenge. Success comes through the Team working in synergy, and I am enjoying my role, which has allowed me to help unlock individual talent and empower people to work together towards our Team’s objectives.
“My thanks go to Zak for his confidence in me as a leader, to my entire leadership team and all my colleagues in the Team, for their continued collaboration and support. I am excited for what we can continue to achieve together.”
Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, said: “I am delighted to confirm we’ve extended Andrea’s contract as our F1 Team Principal for multiple years. His excellent leadership, expertise and the respect he holds within the team and Formula 1 means we could not have a better person in place to continue the pursuit of consistently fighting at the front of the grid.
“His impact on McLaren F1 in his role as Team Principal has been profound, not only through our results on track and the trajectory of the team but also in his development of our culture and mindset.
“With multi-year extensions already agreed with Lando, Oscar, and now Andrea, we can confidently continue on our quest to become World Champions. We’re all looking forward to the years to come under Andrea’s leadership.”
