McLaren: Stella’s careful driver management keeps harmony inside the team
In Formula 1, teamwork is crucial. Yet history has shown how easily internal harmony can be destabilized when individual ambitions behind the wheel go unchecked. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, who has become the face of the team’s revival, often speaks about “staying consistent with our principles.” At Monza, his philosophy was put into action with a display of management that highlighted the team’s collective strength.
During the Italian Grand Prix, McLaren handled a delicate situation with remarkable balance. After race leader Max Verstappen pitted, McLaren extended the stints of both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri as much as possible, hoping for a safety car or even a red flag to create a final opportunity for victory. Their lap times remained steady, though slightly slower, while rivals on fresher tyres started closing the gap. Charles Leclerc, who had stopped on lap 33, rejoined around 32 seconds behind Piastri and began closing in.
By lap 44, Leclerc had reduced the gap to 28 seconds. With a pit stop lasting about 25 seconds, McLaren had no choice but to bring in Piastri, who was just three seconds behind Norris. Normally, the lead car is given priority, but this time the team had different needs. Stella explained: “We called Oscar in because we were monitoring Leclerc, and at the same time we were waiting until the last possible moment to see if there would be a red flag or safety car. So we acted in the interest of the team to maximize the outcome, calling Oscar first and then Lando.”
McLaren’s strategy was aimed at avoiding a possible undercut scenario. Norris was called into the pits on the next lap, but a problem with securing his left-front wheel caused a slow stop. This allowed Piastri to rejoin ahead of his teammate. Stella later clarified: “Oscar stopping first, combined with Lando’s slow stop, led to the position swap. We felt it was absolutely right to restore the order from before the pit stops and then allow our drivers to fight freely on track. That is what we consider consistent with our principles.”
The way Oscar Piastri responded was telling. He questioned via radio, “but aren’t slow pit stops part of racing?” yet obeyed immediately, handing back the position. The gesture underlined the strength of McLaren’s team culture. While some observers thought Piastri was too compliant, and even Max Verstappen reacted with surprise when he heard about the swap, Max Verstappen’s engineer Giampiero Lambiase summed it up bluntly: “Not our business.” Indeed, these were McLaren’s matters – and they handled them well.
If the pit wall had not stepped in, Lando Norris would have had every reason to feel aggrieved, first by the delayed stop and then by the tyre change issue. Such frustrations could have escalated at a time when both drivers are still in the fight for the World Championship.
McLaren’s current position in Formula 1 owes much to a strong collective effort, both at the factory and on the track. At present, there are no signs of internal friction. But history reminds us of many teams who fell into chaos with divided garages and rivalries spiralling out of control. McLaren, under Andrea Stella’s careful leadership, appear determined not to repeat those mistakes.
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