Andrea Stella explained McLaren has gone full circle from being five seconds off the pace in 2015 to Formula 1 Constructors’ Champions in 2024.
McLaren won its first Constructors’ title since 1998 after Lando Norris took victory in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The victory is a stark contrast to where McLaren was in 2015 when Stella joined the team as Head of Race Operations in its darkest days at the back of the grid.
Asked how McLaren turned things around, Stella said he often mentions 2015 to his peers to highlight how far they’ve come.
“The time [since] I joined McLaren [to] now 2024, end of the season, celebrating a championship means if you want that we have gone almost through a circle,” Stella told select media including Motorsport Week.
“I often mention to the team the fact that first race in 2015 in Australia, between our lap in Q1 and the pole position there were five seconds and three seconds to the best lap in Q1.
“We have gone all the way. And we have gone all the way thanks to great resilience, thanks to great belief.”
Stella pays thanks to McLaren management amid title victory
Stella also paid thanks to the likes of McLaren CEO Zak Brown in putting in a structure to help McLaren achieve title success.
“I would like to thank in particular Zak Brown, Paul Walsh, all our shareholders for their faith in the change,” he said.
“Faith in the change that gradually they have implemented and put McLaren in a very solid position from a management point of view.
“When you are solid from a management point of view, when you are trusted, when you start to be able to deliver the investments that were necessary then you can compete.”
Rapid progress at McLaren inspired championship success
Finally, Stella paid tribute to the 1000 people working for McLaren “operating at a very high level” in order to deliver the team its first Constructors’ Championship in 26 years.
“ I think the final bit of this circle if you want came through the people,” Stella explained.
“Unlocking the people which is something that I’ve said several times.
“ I’m not sure if it’s something that… who listens can actually appreciate what it means, if you are not part of seeing such a rapid progress of 1000 people.
“But that’s what has happened because you cannot achieve these standards, this performance, these operations, this reliability without every one of the 1000 people operating at very high level.
“That’s what we have gone through in these 10 years at McLaren but hopefully this is not an end point, this is just a starting point for more to come in the future.”
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