McLaren have announced a “multi-year” contract extension with team principal Andrea Stella beyond 2024.
Stella has been the leader of McLaren’s Formula 1 team since taking over the position from predecessor Andreas Seidl at the end of the 2022 season.Despite a disappointing start to their 2023 campaign, McLaren’s aggressive in-season development enabled them to rapidly climb up the order. The Woking-based team are currently enjoying their most successful season of the last decade, sitting second in the constructors’ championship after the first 14 rounds of the season having secured two victories in a single year for the first time since 2012.
Drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have both secured their maiden grand prix victories and have signed long-term deals to remain with the team into the major technical regulations changes in 2026. McLaren CEO Zak Brown said that he was “delighted” to extend Stella’s contract as the team’s principal.
“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,” said Brown.
“His impact on McLaren 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.”
Stella said it was a “privilege” to be given the opportunity to continue as McLaren team principal for the years ahead.
“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,” said Stella.
“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.”
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Biggsy
1st August 2024, 17:53
Thoroughly deserved.
Sonny Crockett (@sonnycrockett)
1st August 2024, 18:59
x 2
Jere (@jerejj)
1st August 2024, 19:17
More or less a mere formality.
Michael (@freelittlebirds)
1st August 2024, 19:56
Stella was Alonso’s engineer that followed him from Ferrari to McLaren, right?
Mark (@mrcento)
2nd August 2024, 0:38
Correct. Was Alonso’s race engineer at Ferrari, moved to McLaren the same season Alonso did. However has never been a drivers race engineer since moving, holding more general technical roles.