Andrea Stella has committed his long-term future to McLaren by signing a multi-year contract extension to remain as team boss.

Stella has been credited with being at the heart of McLaren’s dramatic turnaround since taking up the role at the end of 2022, overseeing a stunning rise that has propelled the team into championship contention this season.

Stella’s signing follows in the footsteps of recent drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

“It has been an honour to be part of the McLaren Formula 1 team and I am delighted to continue as team principal,” said Stella, who joined the Woking-based organisation from Ferrari in 2015.

“We have made great strides over the last year and a half and there is still a lot of work to do to consistently fight for the top spot, which is a really exciting challenge.

“Success comes from working together as a team, and I really enjoy my role, which allows me to bring out the talents of each individual and empower everyone to work together towards the team’s goals.

“I would like to thank Zak (Brown, CEO) for his trust in me as a leader, the entire leadership team and all my colleagues across the team for their continued collaboration and support. I am very excited about what we can continue to achieve together.”

Brown was recently asked why McLaren has become a winning and title-challenging team within just 12 months of introducing the upgrade at the Austrian Grand Prix last year.

Although Brown responded by saying, “In a word…”, he used two words when he said, “Andrea Stella”. In that respect, the new deal is no surprise.

Praising Stella’s qualities, Brown said: “His superb leadership, expertise and the respect he has for the team and Formula 1 means we could not have a better person to continue our pursuit of consistently fighting for the top.

“His impact on McLaren F1 as team principal has been profound, not only through our results on track and the trajectory of the team, but also in the development of our culture and mindset.

“With the multi-year contract extensions agreed with Lando, Oscar and now Andrea, we can confidently continue our journey to becoming world champions. We all look forward to the years ahead under Andrea’s leadership.”