Although Formula 1 drivers get all the credit for any positive result during a Grand Prix, hundreds of members of staff play a crucial role in delivering a successful race weekend.
From CEOs to strategists to engineers and the hundreds of people working back at the factory that aren’t seen in the paddock, F1 is a team sport with two key protagonists within each manufacturer.
Former world champion Damon Hill was reflecting on the race for Sky Sports F1 (19/5 4:10pm) and wanted to give credit to one member of staff within the McLaren team.
In the past 12 months, no Formula 1 team has enjoyed a bigger turnaround than the Woking-based outfit.
Oscar Piastri started the 2023 Miami Grand Prix on the back row of the grid and only finished ahead of Logan Sargeant, while Lando Norris finished nearly 90 seconds behind Max Verstappen.
Norris is now a Formula 1 race winner after their latest visit to Florida and both drivers did superbly in Imola.
Hill has now suggested that McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has been revolutionary for the team since being promoted into his current role.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown was quick to highlight Stella’s contribution after Norris’s maiden race win at the previous Grand Prix.
The Italian engineer will be delighted that his team drivers have leapfrogged Ferrari’s pairing in terms of raw pace since their upgrade was installed.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about McLaren F1 Team from team principal to engine
Damon Hill very impressed with ‘perfect’ McLaren team principal Andrea Stella
Nearly every team on the grid brought upgrades to Imola and all eyes were on whether Ferrari could match the progression McLaren made in Miami.
However, when it came to qualifying, Norris and Piastri both set faster times than Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz and it was only a three-place penalty that denied the Australian a place on the front row alongside Max Verstappen.
Red Bull struggled with their car during practice and it took an overnight stint in the simulator from test driver Sebastien Buemi to find a solution to their woes.
Meanwhile at McLaren, Piastri delivered a fantastic performance across the weekend in his newly upgraded car and were it not for the traffic he encountered during the race, might have challenged Norris and Verstappen.
Damon Hill and his Sky Sports colleague Naomi Schiff believe that Stella deserves a lot of credit for the progression McLaren have made.
The challenge now is for McLaren to try and take advantage of the position they’re in before the regulations change in 2026.
McLaren challenging Red Bull after a brilliant 12-month spell
Asked if he’s a secret weapon for McLaren, Hill said (19/5 4:10pm): “I think he’s found his position in the team and listening to Zak [Brown], he was saying that he was reluctant to step up originally.
“But I think he needed a bit of encouragement and I think he’s perfect.
“You can see from the way he talks to his team and about his drivers and he’s always encouraging and also thinking optimistically and gives logical answers.
“There doesn’t seem to be any sort of big ego there at all, it’s just simply the method is right.”
Adding to Hill’s comments, Naomi Schiff said: “I think that what we’ve seen of him so far, he presents extremely well.
“He’s now in a forward-facing position absolutely but I think it’s more so the weight that puts on your shoulders and the responsibility that comes with.
“But I think from what we hear, he’s one of the big reasons that the team has taken a step forward and so I think they’re all embracing everything that he’s got to give.”
Hill’s praise of Stella is fully deserved based on how well McLaren have performed during the second half of the 2023 season and the latest step they’ve taken during this campaign.
Not only is the car looking very fast, but in a season when there’s so much volatility in the driver’s market, they have two of the best young drivers in the world signed up for the foreseeable future.
After years of domination from Mercedes and Red Bull, the future of Formula 1 might end up being papaya.
The post ‘I think he’s perfect’: Damon Hill raves about key McLaren man’s work behind the scenes after Imola GP appeared first on F1 Oversteer.