F1 News: Zak Brown confident that McLaren's "strength in depth" will help 2023 transition

Zak Brown is confident in Andrea Stella's abilities.

McLaren CEO Cak Brown has discussed Andrea Stella's experience within the team and why the Italian is well-equipped to lead the team moving forward. 

Stella is one of the accomplished figures in Formula 1, having secured several World Championships whilst working at Ferrari for 15 years. 

Andreas Seidl's departure from the team - originally planned for 2026 - was accelerated by Fred Vasseur's departure from Sauber, which left a vacancy at the Swiss team. 

This now leaves Andrea Stella responsible for McLaren's development for the 2023 season and beyond. 

Speaking after the confirmation of Stella's promotion, Zak Brown explained his confidence in the new appointment:

"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."

Several obstacles lie ahead of McLaren's journey to the front, with Andrea Stella recently admitting to the limitations of the team's infrastructure. 

This was identified many years ago, which prompted the team to invest in a new wind tunnel and development facilities, which are due to come online halfway through 2023. 

Zak Brown has explained the 2024 car will be the first to receive the benefits of the new wind tunnel, with the 2025 car to be the first exclusively developed with the new infrastructure. 

In any case, the McLaren CEO is hopeful that next season can represent a step forward in the team's quest to close the gap to the front.