Andrea Stella: Italian extends contract as McLaren team boss

Stella, who joined McLaren from Ferrari for 2015, was appointed team principal in December 2022, and immediately set about restructuring a team that had been struggling for years.

The 53-year-old Italian’s impact was first seen in a mid-season car upgrade in 2023 that transformed McLaren from lower midfield runners to the front of the group behind then-dominant Red Bull.

This year, following the team’s first upgrade to their 2024 car, Norris won his maiden grand prix in Miami in May and has since been a contender at the front at virtually every race.

Piastri took his own first grand prix victory in Hungary last month.

McLaren are just 42 points behind Red Bull in the championship with 10 races remaining and will catch and pass the reigning champions within a few races if their current rate of scoring continues.

Brown said: “[Andrea’s] 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.

“His impact on McLaren F1 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 added: “It’s a privilege to be part of the McLaren F1 team, and I am honoured to continue in my role as team principal.

“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.

“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.”