McLaren has admitted that its ascent to becoming a championship contender in Formula 1 has compelled the team to make adaptions to its race weekend schedule.
The Woking-based squad has recorded three victories in four races to head into the autumn break with a substantial 40-point lead in the Constructors’ Championship.
McLaren’s bolstered competitiveness since the summer shutdown has ignited the team’s hopes that Lando Norris can catch Max Verstappen to make it a title double.
The Briton’s crushing win in Singapore saw him close again on the Dutchman, who boasts a 52-point advantage over his closest challenger with six rounds remaining.
READ MORE: Lando Norris lays down strategy for Max Verstappen F1 title fight
McLaren revealed earlier this month that Norris’ hopes will now be prioritised amid Oscar Piastri’s bold opening-lap pass on his team-mate costing the side at Monza.
Stella has divulged that McLaren’s higher-pressure position in the pecking order has prompted the team to have to allocate more time to holding pre-race discussions.
Asked whether the side was becoming more familiar with competing at the top, Stella told media including Motorsport Week: “I think there’s a combination of factors.
“Definitely the more you race at the front, the more you get familiar not only with the situation, but even with the approach that the team should have.
“We were discussing that we should adjust our weekend schedule, because we need to have many more conversations.
“Even with the drivers, in terms of internal competition, something that in the past wasn’t part of the going racing.
“Likewise, from a strategic point of view, playing defensive strategies in which you don’t have to be the first one pulling the trigger, you wait for the car in P2 to go and then you cover.
“These are scenarios that we were not very familiar and now we are getting familiar.
“So I think it’s fair to say that there’s a development of which the team are part of, not only the drivers.”
Stella impressed with McLaren’s reaction to mistakes
McLaren received criticism at points earlier in the campaign as the team continued to squander potential win opportunities and crucial points with strategic mistakes.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, who guided the side to eight consecutive Constructors’ titles, indicated that the marque’s engine customer would improve with experience.
Stella expressed that he has been most impressed with how McLaren has managed to use those various setbacks to ensure that it has avoided making repeat errors.
“But for me, the most important thing is that even in the situations in which we had some missed opportunities, we approached them in such a constructive way, really leaning on our culture to make sure that we cash in the learning for these situations,” he continued.
“Because if you face those situations, just losing control, becoming overly emotional, too disappointed because we could have won this race, fine, we will have more opportunities if we keep the team together and we keep growing.
So for me this is the most important thing and the one I’m more proud of, rather than the fact that we now can actually deliver performance, I’m more proud of when the times were difficult.”
McLaren will not dwell on missed points
Meanwhile, Stella has insisted that McLaren will not dwell on those spurned points should Norris come up short in his endeavour to clinch the Drivers’ Championship.
“I really think that the team, you know, we have reflected so much as a team around our mindset,” he explained.
“We talk about mindset, we talk about culture, and I think this has penetrated in the team very deeply, and this means that the mindset is genuinely on to the future.
“The past is relevant as long as you can learn from it.
“That’s not the winner’s mindset, they don’t think of the missed opportunity, just think that’s a missed opportunity, this is what I learned, it’s making me stronger, I look at the future.
“That’s, to be honest, that’s what I see, what I hear in the team, and I’m pretty sure that we will not fall into this temptation of looking back at the points that we don’t have.
“But we will focus on the points that are available in the future.”
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