Stella: Comparing to Perfection Drives McLaren Forward

McLaren F1’s relentless pursuit of perfection fueled remarkable progress in 2024, pushing boundaries and setting new performance standards under Stella’s leadership.

McLaren F1 has raised its game to challenge Red Bull and claim the Constructors’ Championship in 2024. Team Principal Andrea Stella is proud of the progress achieved over the past year.

“This season has been incredibly useful in raising our standards, competing, and advancing our pursuit of the championship,” Stella stated. “And I think I’ve identified all these opportunities because, ultimately, we compare ourselves to perfection. So, immediately, you find many areas for improvement.”

The Italian acknowledges that McLaren missed opportunities for strong results in 2024 and must do even better. “We have a strong ambition to compare ourselves and embrace the discomfort of measuring against what should be perfection. By doing so, we clearly highlight numerous opportunities.”

“Canada is one example. We should have pitted Lando, but due to a communication delay, we didn’t, and we lost the lead during the safety car. Or at Silverstone, where we could have easily switched to medium tires but stayed on softs instead.”

Yet these setbacks have strengthened McLaren. “Each time, as with our adjustments after Canada when we missed the decision to pit Lando, I can see the team operating in a more robust way.”

However, Stella refuses to allow any complacency within the team, despite recognizing the progress made. “This doesn’t mean they are perfect, but it does mean they can win the championship. In my view, the only way to stay in this group is to keep raising the bar.”

“This is something I constantly repeat internally: ‘If you think you’re good enough now, reality will hit you hard.’ It’s about elevating our standards and maintaining this upward trajectory. It cannot flatten out.”