McLaren chief reveals key HIRE to recent success

Norris en Piastri na dubbelpodium op Lusail — Photo: © LAT Images

McLaren

McLaren chief reveals key HIRE to recent success

The team came back into form after a slow start

Chris Deeley Editor

Experienced sports writer covering F1 and other motorsports since 2023

Sunday 10 December 2023 08:27

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McLaren chief Andrea Stella has revealed that a change in process and personnel was key to the team's 2023 turnaround, which turned them from backmarkers to regular podium finishers.

Stella, who replaced incipient Audi and Sauber man Andreas Seidl at the historic team, took over operations at McLaren around a year ago.

Two of the three technical masterminds poached by the team are still in their gardening leave periods, but Stella hailed Peter Prodromou's aero crew as making a huge difference to the team's fortunes.

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Andrea Stella was promoted to McLaren team principal for the 2023 season

Andrea Stella moved from Ferrari to McLaren in 2015

Andrea Stella: These guys have been absolutely instrumental

"The technical restructuring was a fundamental enabler," Stella told Autosport recently.

"The restructuring itself includes people that actually haven't started yet.

"If we talk about the new technical configuration, which includes three technical directors, two of them haven't started yet. It was Peter Prodromou in charge of aero, David Sanchez in charge of performance and concepts, Rob Marshall in charge of engineering and design.

"Effectively, this structure has given clarity on the responsibilities and has allowed also - and it was essential in the short term - to restructure the aerodynamic department, putting Peter Prodromou in charge, supporting Giuseppe Pesce, these guys have been absolutely instrumental in setting the new direction for the design of the car from an aerodynamic point of view."

McLaren Andrea Stella Rob Marshall David Sanchez