F1 Beyond The Grid Andrea Stella + Zak Brown: McLaren’s transformation + the Drivers’ Championship race
Nov 5, 2025
Join Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing and former driver, alongside Andrea Stella, Team Principal with a wealth of engineering expertise, as they dive into McLaren's incredible transformation from a struggling team to back-to-back Constructors’ champions. They discuss the technical innovations and brave design choices that fueled their success, the tight Drivers’ Championship race between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and their motivational philosophies. Plus, hear about the importance of team dynamics and their approach to managing two competing drivers.
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Bravery And Incremental Gains Drove Performance
- McLaren improved by combining technical bravery with team-wide incremental gains to outperform 2024's car.
- Andrea credits bold suspension and cooling innovations plus driver growth for early-season dominance.
Divide Leadership By Strengths
- Split leadership roles so specialists cover commercial and technical demands instead of one overloaded leader.
- Zak handles commercial/board duties while Andrea focuses on engineering and race operations.
One Team, Two Complementary Heads
- Andrea and Zak lead as a single unit with complementary minds, not a strict split of territories.
- Continuous communication and mutual respect amplify their combined leadership effect.