McLaren team principal Andrea Stella stated that he stays in constant contact with his drivers to prevent a repeat of an outcome like the 2007 championship.

Speaking to the media in Brazil after FP1, Stella said: “We always take a look at history, we try to understand what has happened, what are the lessons learned. 2007 is another interesting one, obviously in 2010 with a different outcome for myself—one we won, one we lost.

“In both cases, for instance, he was the driver who was third in the classification at the last race who actually won the championship. This is an easy lesson that we see in every kind of sport: never give up and never take anything for granted, which is very important when we look back at 2007. Obviously, we know that there’s been quite a lot of internal competition at McLaren.

He finally added: “I was on the other side. Potentially, that competition went a little too far, and we could say that racing led the victory to the third driver of another team. Once again, this is a conversation we are having internally right now. We are having conversations with Lando, with Oscar. Let’s make sure that the winner drives a papaya car.”

Andrea Stella Photo: Race Pictures

Stella 'excited' at the prospect of ending Verstappen's dominance

Stella was one of the team principals attending the press conference after FP1 at the Brazilian GP, a session where McLaren once again made a statement, just as they did in Mexico.

The Italian commented on the mood within the team as the season approaches its finale, saying he is “excited” at the prospect of challenging Verstappen’s reign, which has gone unopposed since 2021.

Here’s what he said in full.

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