Has success become routine? McLaren team principal Andrea Stella explains why his Formula One drivers don’t celebrate victories exuberantly
When Lando Norris scored his third Formula 1 victory at the Singapore Grand Prix in 2024, some observers found his celebration to be less euphoric than that of his previous victories. Almost as if success had already become routine for McLaren.
Is that really the case? McLaren team principal Andrea Stella avoids this question when he replies, “I pay attention to what I hear on the radio during the cool-down lap and what I see when the drivers get out of the car. After that, I’m busy with the press. I don’t necessarily see all the celebrations.”
What he does notice, however, is that McLaren probably doesn’t have the most extroverted drivers. Especially Oscar Piastri is often assumed to show few emotions. “Which is not to say that our drivers don’t enjoy it as much as others. It’s a matter of style,” says Stella. “And we’re already focused on the next race because there’s a much bigger goal at the end.”
This last sentence, in turn, suggests that something has changed at McLaren since Norris’ first Formula 1 victory many months ago. At that time, for example, he was still far from being a serious contender for the world championship.
But Stella says no: “In my opinion, nothing has changed. Of course, after his first victory in Miami, Lando seemed very, very happy. He jumped into the arms of the mechanics.”
“But I see the focus that the team has. We’re on a mission, if you can understand that. And it seems like it’s all just a step along the way. Still, you have to celebrate when you win because you don’t always win.”
Why McLaren first had to learn how to win again
And according to team principal Stella, McLaren first had to “learn” how to win again because it had not been in a position to compete at the front for years. He believes that this is a “combination of different factors” and explains: “The more you race at the front, the more you get used to this situation and know how the team has to approach it.”
“We have already realized that we need to talk more with each other in terms of internal competition. That was not an issue in the past. But strategy is also an example of how we can now also take a defensive approach and not have to be the first to do something. You can wait for the car in P2 and then react.”
“None of this was familiar to us, but we are getting used to it. So there is a development taking place in the whole team, not just with the drivers,” says Stella.
This also includes coming to terms with “missed opportunities” and learning from them, as the McLaren team principal emphasizes. He wants to impose a “constructive” approach on his team here. “Because if we stick together, we will continue to grow. That’s the most important thing for me. I’m proud of the pure performance we have, but even more so of how we deal with difficult times.”
