It is a surprise even for team boss Andrea Stella that McLaren is dominating this Formula 1 season. According to the Italian, the team’s strength lies in the fact that no one considers themselves bigger than the collective. That also applies to his drivers.
During a press moment at the Hungaroring, where the Hungarian Grand Prix will be held this weekend, Stella reflected on McLaren’s impressive rise. Since his appointment at the end of 2022, the team has developed rapidly. Last year, the constructors’ title was already won, and this season McLaren, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, won ten of the first thirteen races.
“The progress is unique,” Stella said. “That’s also because there are no absolute superstars around here. Everyone is at the service of the greater good. That applies not only to the engineers, but just as much to the drivers.”
Remarkably, this attitude between the drivers does not lead to tensions, despite the title pressure. Piastri leads the World Championship standings with a sixteen-point lead over Norris. Max Verstappen is third, 81 points behind. Nevertheless, Stella takes drivers from other teams into account.
“I’m not going along with the narrative that there is a two-way battle within our team regarding the title fight,” he said. “As long as it is theoretically still possible for someone else to become world champion, I take that into account. I only look at mathematical chances.”
‘Invest a lot of time in the bond between drivers’
Stella is not surprised that there is hardly any friction between Norris and Piastri. According to him, this is a result of conscious choices within the team. “The bond between our drivers is getting stronger and stronger,” he said. “We invest a lot of time in that, as well as in their relationship with the team. That is just as important to us as the technical development of the car.”
That car, the MCL39, was anything but perfect at the beginning of this year, according to Stella. McLaren opted for an aggressive, innovative approach and was not sure if it would work. “The first simulations were poor,” Stella said.
“And I don’t think that despite the victories at the beginning of the season we were as dominant as was suggested. We continued to develop, constantly implemented upgrades and the team continued to work hard. And I myself did not expect that we would be so competitive now.”
McLaren also set the tone on Friday at the Hungaroring. Norris was fastest in both practice sessions, Piastri finished second twice. The Grand Prix weekend will continue on Saturday at 12:30 PM with the third free practice. The qualification is scheduled for Saturday at 4:00 PM and the race is on Sunday at 3:00 PM.