F1 News: Andrea Stella replaces Seidl as McLaren team principal

McLaren announces Andrea Stella as new team principal.

McLaren has announced Andrea Stella will become team principal, effective immediately, replacing the departing Andreas Seidl.

The F1 driver market has been extremely active this season, but the swaps and changes amongst team principals in the last 24 hours have arguably been more turbulent. 

Reports first emerged earlier this morning about Fred Vasseur's departure to Ferrari, leaving vacancies in the CEO and team principal roles at Alfa Romeo/Sauber. 

Speedcafe were among the first to report on Andreas Seidl's imminent move to Alfa Romeo as the team begins its transition into Audi ahead of the 2026 season. 

Despite the unexpected nature of these developments, Andreas Seidl's move away from McLaren to Alfa Romeo/Sauber has been confirmed.

McLaren has selected Andrea Stella (who was previously Executive Director) to become the team principal and lead the team moving forward. 

Stella has spent several years at McLaren, joining the British squad after 15 years working with Ferrari as a performance engineer for the likes of Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso. 

Zak Brown, McLaren CEO, said this about Stella's promotion:

"I’m delighted that Andrea Stella will step into the Team Principal role and lead our F1 technical and operational programme.

"Andrea is a highly talented, experienced and respected member of our team with a strong track record of leadership and success in Formula 1.

"His move into this role is a great example of the strength in depth we have in our team, and I’m excited to be working more closely with him with a joint focus on moving up the grid and winning races."

Andrea Stella has also commented on his new role:

"I feel privileged to take on the Team Principal role as the next stage of being part of the McLaren F1 Team.

"I am grateful to Zak and the Shareholders for their trust in me and to all my colleagues and those who have supported me throughout my F1 career.

"We are realistic about the amount of work ahead of us to move back up the grid, but I am excited and encouraged that I am in this journey together with a team full of talent, experience, racing spirit and dedication.

"I look forward to working closely with each of them, Lando and Oscar, to together achieving great success and enjoying the journey."