McLaren “impresses” former Red Bull legend Marshall even more than expected

mclaren Team principal Andrea Stella revealed that the Formula 1 Constructors’ Champion was “even more impressed” than expected by former Red Bull engineer Rob Marshall.

Marshall joined the Woking-based outfit in January as technical director, engineering and design after spending 17 years with Red Bull, with his arrival following a number of key appointments over the past 18 months that have helped McLaren win races . The team once again won the Constructors’ title for the first time since 1998 based on points accumulated. lando norris And oscar piastri,

While his reputation was enough to excite MacLaren, his practical approach and willingness to put in the work rather than merely look on from above impressed Stella and the rest of the hierarchy.

“Rob came with a wealth of experience, knowledge from a technical perspective and a reputation for this approach,” Stella said.

“I have to say, working with him, me, the other technical directors, the entire technical team… if anything, we have been more impressed than we expected.

“Because of these qualities, like the knowledge of how you design a car, especially from a car layout standpoint. And that’s very important for 2025, and it’ll be very important for 2026, like, I think Rob Sitting next to me here, and when I sit next to him, and I see him working on the screen.

“I said, ‘It was a really good idea to get Rob,’ because he’s been doing all the work in terms of layout for ’25, ’26 and we’ve missed that kind of role at McLaren before. Also Rob has great human qualities, he is a very positive person. Everyone enjoys working with him. He is full of energy.

“You might see him in the garage, and often he would be lying under the car on the ground.

“Everyone appreciates their incredible knowledge and experience, but at the same time, their hands and even sometimes their heads get dirty because they have their hands on limbs. So it’s something that We missed it before, and now we’re happy we have it in the role.”

McLaren divided its technical management structure into three parts with Peter Prodromou as the marshal – overseeing aerodynamics – and Performance TD Mark Temple.

Neil Holliday took over deputy duties to work alongside Marshall, while Stella stated in pre-season that his aim was to highlight the potential of the existing team members.

Confirming to Motorsport.com that the plan “definitely” worked, Halladay explained: “Obviously, Pete Prodromo was already there and we had Rob Marshall come from Red Bull. Mark Temple Vehicle Performance Perspectives He came from, and he and I both had been at McLaren for many years.

“We had already worked well with Pete, and Rob came in and he’s such a collaborative person to work with and he wants the best for the team and everyone. Really, the way it’s worked out is Has been really positive and I think it’s shown the whole technical team, how we can all work together, different personalities, different specialties, but it really brings everyone together.

“I think the way you divide up the work, you’ve got Andrea as a guide, you’ve given us a chance to get together as a group. It’s allowed you to focus more on your area. And this enables you to ensure that the performance is coming to your area.

“So now I think… if you’re going to give credit, I think it’s something you can definitely give credit to Andrea for, realizing that it’s really a great thing about McLaren Racing technical There was a better way to structure the team.”

Additional reporting by Jonathan Noble and Philip Clarén