Andrea Stella is the mastermind behind McLaren’s winning formula in F1 over the last few years, and the team principal has revealed what the hardest part of his job is. Despite the sheer dominance that was on show from the MCL39 in 2025, Andrea Stella still had one of the most stressful jobs in the F1 paddock.
Andrea Stella is the mastermind behind McLaren’s winning formula in F1 over the last few years, and the team principal has revealed what the hardest part of his job is.
Despite the sheer dominance that was on show from the MCL39 in 2025, Andrea Stella still had one of the most stressful jobs in the F1 paddock.
It wasn’t plain sailing at all for him. He had to manage both of his highly ambitious drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, as they both hunted a maiden title, while continuing to make sure they were being provided with the right set of tools, even with new regulations on the way in the following year.
Despite all of that, Stella was a cool figure at all times on the McLaren pitwall. Not one to get overly excited at trivial aspects of the job, he provided a masterclass in man management and keeping a full view of the bigger picture.
Andrea Stella reveals the most difficult thing about being an F1 team principal
During an interview at the 2026 Autosport Awards, Stella was asked what the most difficult aspect of being a team principal at a Formula 1 outfit is.
The mastermind behind McLaren’s success in recent years replied, “I think the hardest bit is making sure that you consider all the possible ways in which you can help the 10,000 people do the best of their job.
“Expressing their talent, being organised in the best way and facilitating a culture that best represents these 10,000 people.
“So I think the most difficult thing is to make sure that you serve this purpose using all the ways that you have available, making sure that nothing is left behind.”
The Italian engineer has certainly managed to put these wise words into use during his tenure at the Woking-based F1 team over the last two campaigns.
He has propelled the papaya-adorned squad back to the top of the pecking order in the sport, and completely transformed the culture behind the scenes from a midfield outfit to the very best team on the grid.
Andrea Stella also detailed how the upcoming F1 season could be even more successful than 2025
Off the back of a double world championship-winning season, in both the constructors’ and drivers’, Stella was also asked what McLaren could achieve in 2026 that would make the year even more successful than the last.
He replied, “Well, for me, the most important thing is that we as a team we keep growing, developing everyone’s talent, everyone’s competence, working together because we are organised in the right way, and being part of the right culture as a working environment.
“If we improve in each of them, then I think the results will just be a consequence. Then, I can say that this is an even more satisfying season than the previous seasons independently of the outcome.
“Sometimes the outcome is under your control. Sometimes there’s somebody that will be doing a better job, but I think if we do that in the long term, I remain very optimistic.”
Category: General Sports
