McLaren's newest team principal explains his 'hands-on' working style
McLaren's newest team principal, Andrea Stella, is excited to start work with what he feels will be a "hands-on" approach. Stella has been a part of the sport since 2000 when he joined Ferrari. In 2015, he moved to McLaren alongside Fernando Alonso, and since then Stella has grown with the British team as they went through some tumultuous times.
Speaking to the media as the new McLaren team principal, Stella described his style being as "a hands-on type of Team Principal." He said:
"I think my style will be a hands-on type of Team Principal. I think the opportunity that we have is that I've have been dealing with and exposed to the engineering and racing elements of Formula 1 throughout my career."
Stella further said:
"I will be close to the core objectives of the team, which ultimately is to build a quick car and race this car effectively while on track. If I may say, I think there are some really strong elements of integration and combination between my characteristics and Zak, so I think it's clear it is a very strong combination."
We can confirm the appointment of Andrea Stella as our new F1 Team Principal with immediate effect, with Andreas Seidl leaving the team for a new challenge.
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McLaren CEO Zak Brown also described Stella's approach as a very hands-on person in the racing team. He said:
“He is a very hands-on person in the racing team, which was of high interest to me and the shareholders – to have someone leading the team that gets their hands dirty, so to speak. So, we are very excited and that's how we came about to where we are today.”
McLaren's outgoing team principal bids farewell to the team
Andreas Seidl, the Woking-based team's former team principal, bid farewell to the team and thanked Zak Brown for the opportunity. Seidl will be moving to Alfa Romeo/Sauber next season as he works on Audi's initiation in Formula 1. Seidl said:
"I joined McLaren in 2019 and have really enjoyed working with Zak and the team. We have achieved some good results, and I will always have fond memories, with Monza being a personal and career highlight. The team is on a great trajectory, and I would like to thank everyone for their support, trust and commitment."
He continued:
"Thanks to Zak and the shareholders for their understanding of my personal decision to move on to another challenge. I wish Andrea and the team all the best for the future."
Andreas Seidl joins the Sauber Group as Chief Executive Officer, starting in Jan 2023.
He will be tasked with continuing the growth of the group as Sauber keeps establishing itself as one of the brightest sporting, industrial entities around.
Story: sauber-group.com/motorsport/f1-… https://t.co/Lm0RTaGWYW
The Woking-based squad will surely have a task at hand next season as the team tries to return to the front of the grid.