New McLaren team boss had to think for a while when approached

Andrea Stella did not immediately say 'yes' when Zak Brown asked him to become team boss of McLaren. After all, the Italian knows that, as team boss, you not only have to make sure you have a fast car, you also have to be able to hold your own in the politics of the sport.

"The outside elements of the team principal job, that's something I needed to reflect on. I have been reluctant, I just focused on my job. That was my focus. It needed a bit of thought, but I guess it's also about regulation, getting familiar and being honest. I think those are the characteristics that I will take myself and using my interactions outside. We are up for the challenge," Stella explained during a press briefing that included GPblog.com.

Stella knows all the ins and outs of the McLaren team. He came over from Ferrari in 2015 and then started working as Head of Race Operations. In 2018, he was appointed Performance Director, followed a year later by the title of Racing Director. So in 2023, Stella will make his first debut as team boss in the king class of motorsport.

No Seidl on the paddock in 2023

We will not see the outgoing Seidl again as team boss, according to Auto, Motor und Sport. He signed a contract with Audi, but the German is unlikely to step in until 2025 (it will then take over Sauber, ed.). Seidl will manage the Audi project over the next few years to ensure the team is competitive right from the entry. For 2023 and 2024, Sauber is still looking for a replacement for Frederic Vasseur. According to the German medium, the Swiss team will seek the solution for this internally. In 2025, Seidl will therefore become the team boss.