F1 News

Andrea Stella on Norris and Piastri, thinks norris is ready for title

Stella tips Norris for world championship, but on one condition

17 December 2023 at 09:00
  • GPblog.com

Andrea Stella can be proud with a fourth place in the constructors' championship. They started the season in Bahrain with a DNF and a 17th place and ended the season in Abu Dhabi with a fourth and sixth place. On top of that, nine podiums and a sprint win and things are looking good for the Woking-based team. What does team boss Andrea Stella think of last season?

"For us, for McLaren, it has been a positive season,'' said the Italian in conversation with DAZN. "Very exhausting, and we feel the fatigue, but at the same time we have beautiful feelings plus satisfaction for the results we have achieved. We are proud of what we have achieved." And all those good results also make for a satisfied CEO Zak Brown: "Ideally, I like to see Zak Brown be in the garage as much as possible," Stella said jokingly. He continued: "After all, when there are good results, he gives really loud high-fives. So we like to see that happen in the garage. That means very good things are happening."

Norris ahead of world champion

It has been an encouraging year for McLaren with two drivers taking the team to new heights. What is it like for the team boss to have two such drivers in the house? "Oscar is very talented and intelligent. His mental capacity is very high. He has very interesting characteristics and he is just very calm," Stella said about the young Australian. ''Lando is already one of the best drivers on the grid. He is very fast, very good in the race, with tyre management for example. When I think about Lando, I think if the team and I gave him a good car, he would be able to fight for the championship,'' Andrea Stella said.

Top three drivers

"If we talk about the most complete driver, I definitely think of Fernando Alonso. He doesn't really have any weaknesses. I think that makes him unique. He is not the best in many things, but he is very strong in everything. I think I see in Oscar his powerful spirit. He is absolutely like Fernando. He can do mathematical calculations while driving." Lando does currently come closest to the top, according to the team boss: "On the other hand, I think Lando will become as complete as Fernando through his development as a driver. My top three drivers, imagine everyone driving the same car, are Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso."