Andrea Stella laments missing F1 title with Fernando Alonso at Ferrari, faults absence of ‘continuity’

Andrea Stella, McLaren’s current chief, and former Ferrari engineer during Fernando Alonso‘s stint, reflects on the missed opportunity of securing the Drivers Championship with the Spanish driver at Ferrari. Alonso, a standout in the team, narrowly missed the title in 2010, losing out to Sebastian Vettel due to a strategic error in the final race.

In Alonso’s impressive 2010 season, he showcased his brilliance by winning five races, highlighting his prowess even in a less competitive car. Speaking to F1’ Beyond the Grid podcast, Stella reflects on the missed opportunity, emphasizing, “There was no continuity in the project.” Despite their closeness to success in the first year with Alonso, Andrea Stella regrets missing the title, saying, “We were very close to achieving success with Fernando in the first year.”

Drawing a sharp contrast between Alonso’s time and Michael Schumacher‘s successful era at Ferrari, Stella emphasizes the “continuity and seniority” of the personnel involved. He notes, “The seniority, the quality of the people involved; it was just extraordinary.” This was a key factor in Ferrari’s success, creating what Stella describes as “possibly the strongest team” in Formula 1.

The Mclaren chief added, “Unlike Fernando’s time, Michael Schumacher’s ‘journey’ was adequate: Ross Brawn came on board, Rory Byrne, James Alisson… There was a lot of continuity.” Stella implies that the success of Schumacher’s era was propelled by a stable and continuous development process, a key element missing during Alonso’s stint.

Discover: Lawrence Stroll claims Fernando Alonso is racing like he is a ’22-year-old’

Andrea Stella seeks to emulate Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari success formula with McLaren

In hindsight, Stella acknowledges the missed opportunity during the Alonso era, recognizing the need for a meticulous, step-by-step approach akin to Ferrari’s successful mid-90s strategy. He remarks, “I think this is something we missed during the Fernando era and we could have built it, but we would have needed to build the project brick by brick, as was established in the mid-90s at Ferrari.”

Now, at McLaren, Stella is determined to replicate Ferrari’s success by emphasizing the importance of continuity and seniority. He acknowledges the need to bring in experienced individuals, adding “horsepower” to the team. Stella has undertaken restructuring and recruiting efforts, aiming to position McLaren as a formidable contender against top teams like Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari.

The missed championship with Alonso serves as a lesson for Stella, who recognizes the need to build success incrementally. The McLaren chief is optimistic about the team’s future, crediting the existing personnel for rapid improvements and expressing excitement about the contributions of recent hires.

In case you missed it:

• Max Verstappen names Fernando Alonso as a ‘good role model’ in F1
• Helmut Marko denies rumors that Sergio Perez has been given an ultimatum by Red Bull

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