McLaren confirm new team principal as Andreas Seidl joins Alfa Romeo

McLaren have confirmed that Andrea Stella has been promoted as their team principal after former boss Andreas Seidl’s departure. On a day with a lot of announcements in team management, the Woking-based squad decided that their new team principal had to be one from their own ranks.

Announcing Stella as the new team principal, CEO Zak Brown said:

"I'm delighted that Andrea Stella will step into the Team Principal role and lead our F1 technical and operational programme. Andrea is a highly talented, experienced and respected member of our team with a strong track record of leadership and success in Formula 1."

Brown further said:

"His move into this role is a great example of the strength in depth we have in our team, and I’m excited to be working more closely with him with a joint focus on moving up the grid and winning races."

With musical chairs in the F1 team management taking stage off-season, McLaren’s former team principal Andreas Seidl was chosen by Alfa Romeo to be their new boss. With Frederic Vassuer’s departure to Ferrari, the Audi group has appointed the former McLaren team principal as their Group CEO.

To replace Seidl, McLaren decided to promote one of their own within the team to replace the German. Andrea Stella, who has been with the Woking-based squad since 2015, has been appointed as the new head, as Seidl transfers to the Audi group with whom he previously worked during his tenure at the World Endurance championship.

On a departing note, the outgoing McLaren team principal Seidl said:

"I joined McLaren in 2019 and have really enjoyed working with Zak and the team. We have achieved some good results, and I will always have fond memories, with Monza being a personal and career highlight. The team is on a great trajectory, and I would like to thank everyone for their support, trust and commitment."

Seidl continued:

"Thanks to Zak and the shareholders for their understanding of my personal decision to move on to another challenge. I wish Andrea and the team all the best for the future."

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Who is Andrea Stella from McLaren?

The newly appointed McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has an interesting resume at the British team and in the sport. Stella joined the team in 2015 as Head of Operations and has been the Executive Director of Racing at the Woking-based team since 2019.

With more than 20 years of experience in the sport, the Italian engineer started his career in F1 with Ferrari in 2000 as a performance engineer and worked with Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen before becoming Fernando Alonso's race engineer.

On his appointment as team principal, Andrea Stella said:

"I feel privileged to take on the Team Principal role as the next stage of being part of the McLaren F1 Team. I am grateful to Zak and the Shareholders for their trust in me and to all my colleagues and those who have supported me throughout my F1 career."

Stella continued:

"We are realistic about the amount of work ahead of us to move back up the grid, but I am excited and encouraged that I am in this journey together with a team full of talent, experience, racing spirit and dedication. I look forward to working closely with each of them, Lando and Oscar, to together achieving great success and enjoying the journey."

With Seidl’s departure, the trajectory of the British team in the sport will be a concern, as Stella is an internal promotion within the team and not exactly a team head.

However, Stella's experience could add a refreshing change to the management structure at the British team as they embark on their journey to become front runners again. The Woking-based squad finished the 2022 championship in fifth place, a place down from the fourth place they finished their 2021 season in.