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Stella points to departed 'great racer' as reason for McLaren's 2024 F1 success
In the aftermaths of McLaren's Constrcutors' championship, team boss, Andrea Stella, did not forget to remember Gil de Ferran, former McLaren Sporting Director, and shed light on why the late Brazilian had been so instrumental in the Italian's leadership and in the subsequent turn around experienced by the Woking based team.
Speaking to media present in Abu Dhabi, including GPblog Stella revealed de Ferran's significance to himself. "The reason why I wear this pin is because Gil de Ferran, he was the first person I talked to when the proposal to become Team Principal came across. Because of his friendship, because of his wisdom, because of his incredible qualities at human level, his intelligence. He was and he has always been a great racer," revealed the Italian team boss.
Why was de Ferran so important to McLaren?
Stella then illustrated just how instrumental was de Ferran to what he helped build at McLaren: "He was the first person that I consulted and to me, it was very clear that whatever I was going to build, I was going to build it with Gil. Gil has always been on my side, he was my advisor, my personal consultant. If we implemented the culture, if we created the belief, if we were able to increase the standards to the level that was required, this is also because Gil was part of the process."
De Ferran passed away on December 23, 2023, at age 56, unexpectedly, however, the Brazilian Indycar champion was not forgotten. Stella then remembered how the team homaged the late Brazilian the very first chance they got in 2024: "So it was easy for us, it was straightforward to dedicate our first victory in Miami to Gil", before dedicating the Constructors' title as well to him.
"This is for Gil, this is for you. Gil was always with us, like I wear this pin all the time when I'm at the factory. For the final race, I needed to give a clear message to myself and to everyone that Gil was with us throughout the season", concluded Stella.
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