As we approach the new year, we also come closer to the first resolutions for 2025. Among McLaren’s priorities, according to Andrea Stella, there’s innovation and the hope to dominate the upcoming F1 races, making them “boring and predictable.”
A phrase continues to be posted on McLaren’s social media pages: “This team never gives up.” These five words sum up the mindset and philosophy of the Woking-based team, led by former Ferrari engineer Andrea Stella. The 2023 season, dominated unchallenged by Max Verstappen, saw the British team finish the year in fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship, after race weekends that left a bitter taste in the mouths of the pit crew and drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
The final act of the 2024 Formula 1 season, however, crowned McLaren as the Constructors’ World Champions. This result, despite the excellent performance of the MCL38 – McLaren’s car for the concluded season – was not certain until the checkered flag of the 24th round at Yas Marina on December 8, in a fight down to the last corner with Scuderia Ferrari.
At the annual Autosprint Golden Helmets ceremony, Andrea Stella recalled the moment the team realized what had really happened on the track in Abu Dhabi: “While we were still in the battle in Abu Dhabi, there was no time to think about the title. We were focused session by session, lap by lap. Then, when Lando crossed the finish line, we let ourselves go. The celebrations were amazing .”
Stella, the Italian engineer, didn’t hide his surprise at McLaren returning to the top of the standings after 26 years, a feat achieved faster than planned in Woking. The last Constructors’ Championship won by the Papaya team was in 1998: “We won the title as a team at a faster pace than we expected. We’re very proud to have delivered a world championship to a prestigious team like McLaren. In the days that followed, we had a more rational reflection: we went to the FIA Awards ceremony in Rwanda with Zak, Lando, and Oscar, and we realized what had happened.”
“Back at the factory, on the wall of laurel crowns, there were all the title years. Seeing 1998 followed by 2024 made me reflect a lot: I stood there for thirty seconds just staring at that date,” added Andrea Stella.
“There is a strong Italian imprint on this achievement, not just because of me, but because a significant percentage of the team members are my fellow countrymen. I was at a meeting a few days ago, and for a moment, I thought: around the table, about 20% of the people were Italian, and that made me realize how important the tricolor (Italian flag) was for this achievement ,” said Andrea Stella, with a note of patriotic pride. So, while the victory may wave the Union Jack, perhaps the Italians can feel a little proud too, knowing that McLaren’s triumph was the result of the hard work of their compatriots.
And for 2025? Here’s what Andrea Stella had to say.
The 2024 season was a comeback for many teams on the grid, with wins from Ferrari and Mercedes, but of course, also for McLaren itself. As Andrea Stella revealed, the team had already started working on the 2025 car design in the middle of the season just concluded: “Last season, four teams were fighting for victory every weekend. It was a special season in terms of competitiveness. Looking ahead to 2025, we are focusing on innovation. Already halfway through the season, when crucial decisions had to be made regarding next year’s car, we realized that small incremental improvements wouldn’t be enough“.
“As a result, in 2025, we’ll see an innovative McLaren. We hope this will add a performance edge, making the races less tense, but maybe a bit more boring. However, we know that probably won’t be the case, and that will be a good thing for Formula 1. To conclude, I’ll say: May the best team win ” the Italian engineer concluded, already setting the tone for the upcoming season and throwing down the first challenge.
Photo: McLaren.