McLaren Formula 1 boss Andrea Stella has outlined how he has enforced a policy of not setting results-based targets with the team as they “take care of themselves”.
Having begun last term struggling with an underdeveloped car, McLaren became a permanent fixture at the front of the field with the addition of mid-season upgrades.
The Woking-based squad’s drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, combined to register nine podiums, enabling the team to beat Aston Martin to fourth in the standings.
McLaren was only outscored by Red Bull since the launch of its revised car, heightening predictions it could be the side best placed to catch the reigning champions.
But Stella has revealed that he has avoided placing expectations related to results, instead ensuring that the camp remains fixated on maximising its development.
“I won’t talk about how we want to be second, first, third – because that’s not even the language we use internally at McLaren. We don’t talk about this,” he told Autosport.
“Results take care of themselves. What we talk about is: ‘What do we have to do in terms of aerodynamic development, mechanical development, how do we improve the interaction with the tyres’?
“The normal areas, if you ask any other team they would give you the same answer, just the projects that we need to deliver. How do we deliver projects, how do we make sure that they actually deliver what we want? And that’s what the focus should be.
“We are making sure that every day, we feel we are making a little step forward. We are increasing competency, we are increasing expertise, we are increasing our knowledge in every parameter that ultimately will deliver performance on track.
“Then, once we are in Bahrain, once we are in Saudi, we will see how good a job we have done.”
Although a grand prix victory evaded the team, McLaren’s remarkable turnaround witnessed it be Red Bull and Max Verstappen’s most consistent challenger in the latter stages of the previous campaign.
When asked if that recovery had altered his timeline to return the British outfit to the top, Stella answered: “One thing I often tell especially my leadership team: plans are really good, but we are not here to execute plans, we are here to deliver performance.
“Plans are a good reference, but then pretty much every day you need to adapt and say, ‘what does it mean for my next step and how much do I have to revisit the plan?’
“Plans could easily lead to a comfort zone. I try to take it from the point of view that the focus is on performance. A plan is a tool, it is not the aim.”
