Stella praises McLaren for relentless development work
After McLaren secured its third win of the 2024 F1 season, its team boss Andrea Stella underlined that the Woking-based outfit’s relentless development work has been a key factor to its recent success.
Having started the Zandvoort round from pole position, Lando Norris was unable to hang on to the first position at the start. However, he picked off Max Verstappen on the track to secure his second victory with the biggest winning margin of the year and fastest lap to boot for an emphatic victory.
Reflecting on the Dutch Grand Prix, McLaren team boss Andrea Stella sounded a positive note, stating that his team further reduced the gap to Red Bull in the teams’ standings.
"We come away from the Dutch Grand Prix with a strong victory and further validation of the progress we are making as a team. On Lando’s side, he completed a dominant weekend with a comfortable victory and fastest lap, in addition to his pole position yesterday, giving further proof to the calibre of driver we know him to be.
“Oscar also delivered a strong weekend and was unlucky to finish just outside the podium places. He was caught in dirty air for a long period of the race, which limited his forward progress, but still brings home important points for the Constructors’ Championship.
McLaren brought its second comprehensive upgrade package of the season to Zandvoort, introducing a raft of aerodynamic developments.
Having started the season slightly off the pace compared to Red Bull and Ferrari, Stella stressed that his team’s development programme has been vital to its success in recent months.
“This weekend’s performance was enhanced by the new upgrades we brought to the track, which have proven to add competitiveness to the car, and my thanks go to the entire team for their work in developing, producing and delivering these upgrades.
“We will celebrate this victory and quickly turn our attention to next week’s Italian Grand Prix, where we hope to continue with the momentum we have built over the past several races. Thanks again to our entire team, our fans and our partners, and we look forward to racing again in Monza,” concluded Stella.
