'Fantastic Leader': McLaren Team Principal Praised By Zak Brown
F1Wednesday, 20 December 2023 at 13:00
Andrea Stella joined the Papaya team ahead of the 2023 season to take on the challenge of elevating McLaren to a Championship-contending team.
While he didn't have too much influence on how his cars performed at the beginning of the season, he led his team to significant progress and achievement of multiple podiums towards the end of the season.
Asked to name some examples of how the team principal benefited his team, McLaren's CEO Zak Brown highlighted his communication skills. He told motorsport.com:
"Yes, a lot, one of his greatest strengths is he is a great communicator. And he is a great listener and he also canvasses a lot of opinion and he has a great ability to look at things through those people's lenses."
Stella has worked the majority of his career in the lower ranks and worked his way up. The team principal has a great understanding of everything, and it comes to his advantage.
"Which is quite a talent. If I am an aero person, he hears what they are saying and digests it from their point of view. He listens, he debates, he empowers."
Lando Norris recently commended Stella when he said he could not ask for a better team principal. The Papaya team CEO continued:
"I'll see him now on the pitwall, because he is in a slightly different role, but he will challenge [team strategy calls] and let them make decisions. He will only step in if there is a really wrong decision. But that is what you want to do as a leader."
The team principal also gained a reputation for patient and detailed media briefings in 2023, which only further underlines his position as a people person. On the other hand, Brown added:
"[But] don't be mistaken by his soft demeanour, he is tough. Tough, demanding, fair, leads by example."
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