McLaren’s resurgence in the 2023 season has been nothing short of spectacular. At the core of this remarkable comeback is Andrea Stella, McLaren’s team principal, whose adept leadership propelled the Woking-based team to new heights in 2023. And recently, he has also earned the resounding approval of McLaren CEO Zak Brown and their star driver, Lando Norris.

In late 2022, as McLaren bid farewell to Andreas Seidl, a new era dawned at the Papaya team, with Andrea Stella taking the reins as the team principal. The 2023 season became a turning point for the iconic British team, witnessing significant progress and substantial restructuring in the technical department under Stella’s guidance. A pivotal moment came at the Austrian Grand Prix with the mid-season upgrade to the MCL60, setting the stage for McLaren’s climb up the Constructors’ standings.

Andrea Stella gets credit for McLaren’s huge turnaround in 2023

Lando Norris finished an impressive P4 in Austria, and from there on, the team’s trajectory started going up. It also became clear that Andrea Stella’s leadership was a driving force behind McLaren’s resurgence. Lando Norris, now in the role of the team’s senior driver alongside rookie sensation Oscar Piastri, showcased exceptional performances, solidifying McLaren’s position as the best of the rest after the top 3 teams in Formula 1. They even managed to eke out a Sprint win in Qatar with Piastri.

In a recent exclusive with Motorsport.com, Zak Brown couldn’t help but sing praises for Stella’s outstanding performance. “He has been awesome,” Brown remarked, emphasizing the significant impact on both on-track results and team culture. Brown highlighted Stella’s exceptional leadership qualities, describing him as a fantastic leader who empowers people and fosters a positive team environment.

Brown elaborated on Stella’s distinctive leadership style on the pit wall, stating, “I’ll see him now on the pit wall because he is in a slightly different role. But he will challenge [team strategy calls] and let them make decisions. He will only step in if there is a really wrong decision. But that is what you want to do as a leader.”

Stella’s leadership style is a unique blend of communication and empowerment. “He is a great communicator [and] leads by example. [But] don’t be mistaken by his soft demeanor. He is tough, demanding, and fair,” Brown noted. In addition to his leadership prowess, Stella also gained recognition for his detailed and patient media briefings in 2023. Brown attributed this quality to Stella’s role as a “people person,” emphasizing that behind his soft exterior lies a resilient and decisive leader.

Reflecting on McLaren’s journey, Lando Norris also took a moment to express his gratitude for Stella’s leadership. In Norris’s eyes, Stella is the director and producer on the set, orchestrating seamless collaboration within the team. “He’s really done a great job. I’m very, very happy to have him where he is. He continues to do a lot for the team every weekend as far as racing, qualifying, and I couldn’t ask for a better team boss,” Norris remarked.

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Andrea Stella himself reflected on the season gone by and praised both his drivers for their exceptional performance.

Stella does not doubt that Lando Norris will become world champion in the right machinery

In a conversation with DAZN, Andrea Stella reflected on the team’s commendable fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship. Despite a rocky start, McLaren concluded the season with nine podium finishes and a Sprint win, earning Stella’s description of the season as “positive.”

Amidst the collective success, Stella’s attention turned towards the future, particularly the potential of Lando Norris. Stella shared his belief that Norris is already among the best on the grid. “Lando is very fast, very good in the race, with tire management, for example. When I think about Lando, I think if the team and I gave him a good car, he would be able to fight for the championship,” Stella asserted.

Stella envisioned Norris’s development as a driver, foreseeing him reaching the level of legends like Fernando Alonso. In a hypothetical scenario where all drivers pilot the same car, Stella named his top three choices as Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, and Fernando Alonso. This insightful glimpse into Stella’s perspective on Norris’s potential also sheds light on the team’s optimism for the seasons to come.

McLaren has a very rich history in Formula 1. Right now, there’s a shared vision for the future within the team, with Andrea Stella leading the charge and a talented driver like Lando Norris eyeing the ultimate prize: becoming world champions once again.

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