McLaren F1 boss Andrea Stella stays diplomatic on team orders, keeping tension low as the 2025 title fight heats up internally.
McLaren F1 delivered a commanding performance in Miami, leaving the rest of the grid trailing by over 20 seconds. The result has sparked questions: is the 2025 season already slipping out of reach for their rivals?
The upcoming triple-header in Imola, Monaco, and Barcelona will likely offer some clarity. But within McLaren, caution remains the official tone.
Team Principal Andrea Stella was quick to temper the excitement, reminding everyone that Miami’s conditions played to the MCL39’s strengths.
“We understand where the MCL39 performs well. It’s a competitive car, and in certain scenarios, it holds an edge,” he explained. “Miami suited us — the layout, average speeds, ambient temperatures. But in places like Saudi Arabia or Japan, things are much tighter.”
Stella made it clear that staying ahead will take constant development. “We’re not standing still, and neither is anyone else. We plan to upgrade the MCL39 and aim to make it more versatile across different track conditions and cornering speeds.”
As McLaren pulls ahead, rumors and suspicions are beginning to swirl — particularly from rivals like Red Bull. From flexible wings to water-based tire cooling systems, the speculations are flying. Yet McLaren has remained clear of any regulatory trouble so far.
Is Stella worried? Not at all.
“For us, it’s actually good when our competitors get distracted by things they believe are on our car — but aren’t,” he said with a grin. “And even if they were, like front wing deflection — which is common — it’s not why we’re competitive.”
He added with a hint of irony, “Honestly, I hope more of these stories come up. It means our rivals are focusing on the wrong things, which only helps us.”
So what’s the real secret behind McLaren’s rise? There may be no single breakthrough — just a finely tuned balance of aerodynamics, suspension, and engineering fundamentals.
“I’d love to give a misleading answer and throw everyone off,” Stella joked. “But the truth is, in F1, you win by staying focused on your own work and getting the basics right. When you’re distracted by others, it usually signals trouble at home.”
Despite their current lead, McLaren has no plans to abandon the 2025 car just yet in favor of the 2026 regulations overhaul.
“We’re still committed to this year’s car,” Stella confirmed. “We can’t take anything for granted. There are areas to improve, and we have upgrades coming. At the same time, we’ve been working on the 2026 car since early January. It’s a balancing act — we’re using our resources as wisely as possible.”
Eventually, full attention will shift to 2026, he admits. But for now, McLaren is keeping its eyes on both the present and the future.
Piastri Keeps Impressing Andrea Stella
McLaren’s strong form this season owes a lot to Oscar Piastri, who has taken a big leap forward since last year. The Australian is now leading the championship after a string of standout performances. So where has he improved the most over the winter?
“The biggest step, if I had to pinpoint one, is that Oscar has simply become a faster driver,” says McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella. “When you’re quicker, you naturally have more opportunities, more time to process information, more headspace to deal with everything else.”
“That applies both in and out of the car. Once speed is there, you can focus on the smaller gains — and it’s those marginal improvements that add up to the kind of results he’s delivering right now.”
While Piastri rightly gets the credit, Stella also praised the team around him.
“Oscar deserves the spotlight, but I also want to highlight the work of his engineers, the factory support, the analytics teams — and of course, Mark Webber, who’s been a key figure in his development.”
“There’s been a lot of effort behind these gains, but Oscar has made it all count. Full credit to him.”
Team Orders at McLaren? Not Yet
As Piastri climbs to the top of the standings, questions naturally arise: will McLaren have to step in and name a number one driver? Will they eventually favor Piastri over Lando Norris?
Stella isn’t rushing to that point.
“Internal competition is something we manage through our racing principles and team values,” he explains. “These weren’t just created by the team. Oscar and Lando contributed to them. They come from honest, meaningful conversations we’ve had together over time.”
“I won’t go into details — we keep those internal — but our approach has worked well so far. And it only works because we have two drivers like Oscar and Lando. Not only are they fast, they’re also outstanding individuals. I’ve seen that in the way they race.”
So does that mean team orders are off the table, no matter the situation?
Not quite.
“There may come a point where, as a team, we’re put to the test,” Stella admits. “When things get tight between the drivers, we might need to issue instructions from the pit wall.”
“In fact, internally, we don’t say ‘if.’ We say ‘when.’ Because this sport is incredibly complex — and at some stage, that situation will come.”
“What matters is that we stick to our values, respond constructively, and act as a united team. With drivers like Oscar and Lando, I’m confident we can handle that when the time comes.”
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