Stella: The approach to the fight for the title will not change.

      At the FIA press conference on Friday, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella spoke about the path to success and the differences in this season…

      Question: Andrea, this weekend McLaren could clinch the Constructors' Championship early. How do your emotions differ from last year's?

      Andrea Stella: First of all, we still have to win it. It's not won yet. As for the emotions, of course they are different from a year ago.

      Last year the championship victory was a pleasant surprise; it came much earlier than we expected given the team's progress. Our first win last year only came in Miami, yet we became championship leaders here in Baku. The final victory was unexpected and pleasantly surprising.

      This year we understood quite quickly that the car is very competitive, that we would be winning races, so we concentrated more on focus and on maximising the potential we had. Another difference is that this year our drivers are fighting for the drivers' title.

      Question: In which area do you think the team has improved most this year?

      Andrea Stella: In many. Obviously, in Formula 1 you strive to be the best at everything. But if I had to choose one thing, I'd say the technical side.

      The car has become much better; it is truly innovative compared to last year. In its development we optimised every detail, implemented some very bold solutions, in particular in the front suspension design and in some other, less visible areas. In my view, that is where the biggest step was made. And, of course, the team and the drivers have improved — we are all not standing still.

      Question: Twelve wins in 16 races and 617 points. Can you beat Red Bull's points record for 2023 — 860?

      Andrea Stella: Their record is simply incredible. For us it is a benchmark, but we don't think about it.

      We think about one race at a time. As we saw in Monza, you cannot take success for granted. At the previous round Red Bull were faster than us in qualifying and the race. In Zandvoort we had a retirement because of a failure for Lando. Before thinking about the final result, you need to make sure you're extracting the maximum from each individual round.

      Question: Are you surprised by the amount of discussion around your decisions when you ask drivers to swap places?

      Andrea Stella: There's nothing surprising about that, because Formula 1 is very popular. For us it's important that comments are respectful. If they are, we welcome them, we listen and take them into account.

      Question: When the Constructors' Cup is in your pocket, will you change your approach to the fight for the drivers' title?

      Andrea Stella: No. The approach to the drivers' title will not change. It does not depend on the Constructors' Championship. The approach is defined by our principles, the values we embody at McLaren Racing, the unity of the team, which is important to preserve. We consider this fundamental to our future.

      After every race weekend we analyse our work, the decisions made, the driving and so on. We did the same after Monza, and were able to confirm that the actions were consistent with our plans, and we are ready to repeat them in the future.

      Question: You were very successful at Ferrari, now you're winning titles at McLaren. Can you compare the experience of working at these teams?

      Andrea Stella: I'll try to be brief. I always say there are far fewer differences than might appear.

      Over the course of my career at Ferrari there were different versions of the team that existed under one roof and bore the same name. And the evolutionary versions of that team sometimes differed from one another more than the difference I encountered when moving from Ferrari to McLaren.

      Of course, both teams, like everyone in Formula 1, strive to choose the best people and to follow the highest standards. It is true that at Ferrari you feel quite strong pressure from the media that you have to deal with. But McLaren also attracts a lot of attention. The similarities are much greater than the differences.

      Question: Everyone talks about a special passion at Ferrari. Do you feel something similar at McLaren?

      Andrea Stella: If we speak of passion related to belonging to the team, the pride of being part of it, wearing the uniform, then I feel the same in Ferrari and in McLaren.

      An important part of how Zak and I try to shape the team, to create the right values in it, is related to a sense of belonging. A willingness to constantly improve oneself and to improve the team, because we want to see this team win. And you need to make sure you instil these values in each of the thousand people. So when it comes to dedication, channeling emotions in the right direction, I would say passion is a common trait of both my former and my current team.

      Question: This weekend McLaren could secure the Constructors' Championship, yet only two and a half years ago the team was languishing at the back, experiencing serious financial problems. Was there a time in the last five years when you and Zak realised the team could become champions?

      Andrea Stella: If we consider the five-year period, a lot happened during that time, including for me, because five years ago I was in another role. I became team principal at the beginning of 2023. But the conditions for success appeared before me. In particular, the necessary investments were made.

      By 2023 we already had the required infrastructure, the result of investments approved before I became team principal. Today's successes have a legacy; there is a contribution from the people who held this position before me.

      In 2023 there were some organisational changes, especially in the technical area, that allowed us to better unlock the potential of our specialists. But if you think about McLaren's talents, especially in the technical team, building such a strong technical department undoubtedly took several years and the efforts of many people. I want to take the opportunity to express my gratitude to them — to those who held my position before me.