McLaren’s rising dominance in F1 isn’t just on track, it’s behind the scenes too, where talent stays by choice, not contract.
As McLaren continues its impressive rise, crowned by the 2024 Constructors’ Championship and a strong start to 2025 with back-to-back wins, it’s no surprise other Formula 1 teams are eyeing its top talent.
But Team Principal Andrea Stella and CEO Zak Brown are making sure that McLaren remains a place where people choose to stay.
“We’ve seen growing interest in our team members,” Stella admitted. “But honestly, we don’t see that as a threat, it’s a compliment. In F1, it’s normal for teams to want to learn from each other and attract talent.”
That said, Stella and Brown aren’t leaving anything to chance. The duo takes a proactive approach to retaining both senior leadership and younger talent across the organization.
“We don’t just rely on contracts,” Stella explained. “We focus on creating an environment where people want to stay, where they feel part of something meaningful, both for McLaren’s success and their own personal growth.”
This vision of long-term stability is visible on track with the drivers, but it runs deep within the entire team. McLaren’s strategy is as much about culture as it is about contracts.
“We want our people to feel like McLaren is the place to work in Formula 1,” Stella added. “That’s the only way to keep building on what we’ve achieved.”
“You Don’t Get Your Talent Stolen, You Lose It”
Zak Brown echoes the sentiment and adds his own sharp take.
“When people say their driver or sponsor got ‘poached,’ I don’t buy it,” Brown said. “You don’t get your people stolen, you lose them. That’s on you.”
Brown shared that even Stella himself is on a long-term contract, before joking, “just in case anyone’s wondering.”
But jokes aside, Brown emphasized that retention at McLaren goes far beyond signatures on paper.
“This year, we haven’t had a single change on the pit wall. No shake-up in our technical leadership. No driver drama. That’s not luck, that’s culture,” he said. “We’ve built an environment where people, and even their families, want to be part of McLaren.”
In the end, both leaders agree: the goal isn’t just to keep talent, it’s to make McLaren the kind of team where leaving isn’t even on the table.
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Why No One’s Leaving McLaren, By Design, Not Luck Why No One’s Leaving McLaren, By Design, Not Luck
