Stella assumed the position of Team Principal at McLaren in December of 2022 after Andreas Seidl departed for Sauber to lead the team’s transformation into Audi’s F1 Works team by 2026.
During that time, McLaren was in a dire situation, starting the ground-effect era in 2022 with poor performance. Therefore, receiving a promotion to Team Principal was not a cause for celebration. However, Stella remained focused on the job at hand and refrained from engaging in unnecessary conversation.
In 2023, McLaren began to show signs of improvement, with their upgrade for the Austrian GP propelling them from the midfield to become Red Bull’s closest competitors. Throughout this period, Stella maintained a low profile and remained dedicated to his work.
It was only recently that Stella made some confident statements, claiming that McLaren could contend for victories in 2024, despite a less than ideal start to the season based on their performance in 2023. What made Stella’s claims noteworthy was the fact that their shaky start in 2024 coincided with a recent technical shakeup that saw David Sanchez leave for Alpine. However, their performance in the Miami Grand Prix confirmed Stella’s assertions.
The weekend was a rollercoaster for the Woking team, as they failed to maximize their results in Sprint Qualifying, Sprint, and even Qualifying on Saturday afternoon. However, they excelled in the race and, with some assistance from the Safety Car, Norris secured his first F1 victory.
When facing the media in Miami, Stella was asked about his feelings as a winning team boss. He responded humbly, stating, “To me, a victory as a team principal is equivalent to the team’s victory. My role is to serve and represent the team.” Stella further explained, “What you see in one person is actually 850 people. My thoughts, heart, and mind are focused on the collective effort we have undertaken to turn the situation around from 15 months ago. The quality of our work is evident because all teams are giving their maximum effort.” Stella emphasized the importance of teamwork and the extensive collaboration required to achieve success.
Stella’s sentiment is understandable considering his journey through the ranks at McLaren. He joined the team in 2015 as the Head of Race Operations, following Fernando Alonso from Ferrari, where he served as his race engineer. It was a bold move for an Italian to leave the only Italian F1 team, especially when that team is the Scuderia. Stella’s experience working closely with the team members has given him a deep understanding of the hard work required to consistently put two F1 cars on the track, showcasing his qualities as a true leader.
Oscar Piastri’s victory in the F1 Sprint race in Qatar in 2023 occurred while Stella was overseeing the team. However, it was in Miami that Piastri secured his first “real grand prix” win as the team boss for McLaren. This triumph also coincided with the first win of their star driver, Norris, who is considered the future of the team.
When asked if Norris’s victory relieved the pressure on him, Stella responded, “Realistically, I believe it was a burden for him, but it was also a burden for us because we knew that once we provided Lando with the opportunity to win, he would deliver. So we felt the responsibility, and I have mentioned this multiple times, that it is our responsibility, not Lando’s. However, credit must be given to Lando for his continuous development. We discussed in the media how he improved during the winter, particularly in qualifying and the ability to deliver laps that don’t necessarily have to be perfect when you have a fast car, but rather being present.”
“I believe he is achieving that,” added the McLaren team boss. “I must also acknowledge his maturity in managing the race. As soon as he realized there wasn’t much to gain after the first lap, he started conserving his tires because he knew his opportunity would come later. The pace he demonstrated when the cars ahead of him pitted was truly remarkable.”
“He is fast in qualifying, sometimes pacing himself, and then displays great maturity during the race in terms of maximizing the performance of his car,” Stella concluded.