Andrea Stella arrives for our interview with six pages of notes, and the thoroughness of preparation is obvious. There are sections, with headings. They cover the areas McLaren’s team principal figures we’re likely to discuss. And there’s a remarkable example of the emotional intelligence of the man who, since he took on his current role in December 2022, has masterminded McLaren’s transformation from long-time midfielders to Formula 1 front-runners.
One of the questions planned was: “How do you go from better to best?” Stella has no way of knowing this. We’re a fair bit through the interview when it’s asked. Stella smiles and turns over a sheet of paper. “Look,” he says, pointing at a section heading in his handwritten notes. “Better to best.”
