The CEO of McLaren, Zak Brown, praised Team Principal, Andrea Stella, as the main catalyst for the transformation of the British team in Formula 1 over the past year. Stella took over the role before last season, when it was decided that Andreas Seidl would leave to work on the transition of Audi from Sauber. Despite starting the previous season at a disadvantage due to a late change in the car concept, McLaren’s luck improved with mid-season updates, resulting in nine podiums and a fourth-place finish. The team continued its upward trajectory in the 2024 season, with Lando Norris securing two podiums and McLaren currently holding third place in the constructors’ championship. Brown, who appointed Stella, credited him as the driving force behind McLaren’s resurgence, citing his leadership, clarity, restructuring efforts, and lead-by-example approach.
In a recent video interview on YouTube with Drive to Wynn, Brown expressed his confidence in the upcoming McLaren upgrade package, which will be introduced at the next race in Miami. He highlighted the team’s strong track record with correlation, indicating that previous upgrades performed as expected. Brown believes the upcoming upgrades will have a similar positive impact. McLaren currently sits comfortably in third place in the Constructors’ Championship, with 96 points after the first five rounds, trailing Ferrari in second place by 55 points.