With the 2024 F1 season now done and dusted, former Haas boss, Guenther Steiner had all the time on his hands to reflect on the epic year of competition we’ve seen. Going into the season, Red Bull were expected to run away with all the accolades.
But the duo of McLaren and Ferrari threw a spanner in the works by giving the fans a championship battle that lasted until the very last lap of the season finale in Abu Dhabi. Looking back at the two teams and their performances, Steiner believes that McLaren team principal, Andrea Stella edges out Ferrari’s Frederic Vasseur for his end-of-the-year awards.
“I would pick Andrea [Stella] because he won the championship. I mean put it this way, I mean, that’s always the biggest thing,” said the American-Italian on the Red Flags podcast.
McLAREN CLINCH THEIR FIRST CONSTRUCTORS’ CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE 21ST CENTURY!
What an achievement, what a season! #F1 #AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/e9Yyd6pcXo
— Formula 1 (@F1) December 8, 2024
McLaren have been on a dream trajectory of recovering to the front of the field since 2023, when Stella took over as the team principal. Under the Italian’s leadership, the Woking outfit overturned a troublesome and incomplete car last season to make it a regular podium contender.
And in 2024, they picked up where they left off that development trajectory to get into the fight for race wins. Stella deserves a lot of credit for this success, but he was still being modest about McLaren challenging for the title this season, let alone winning it. So, it has been an overachievement by Stella and Co.
For Steiner, the deciding factor in picking Stella as the team principal of the year was McLaren’s Constructors’ title win — the team’s first Constructors’ title since 1998. However, Vasseur has also done an excellent job to bring Ferrari back on track in their quest to bring the glory back to Maranello — an ambition that lured Lewis Hamilton away from his beloved Mercedes team.
Will Vasseur succeed in his plan by bringing in Hamilton?
The Frenchman was one of the key influencers behind Hamilton’s move to Ferrari. Having worked with the Briton in his junior racing days, the Ferrari boss feels that Hamilton is the final piece in the puzzle for Ferrari’s plan to become champions again.
Many have lauded him to be one of the best team principals based on the changes and decisions he has made at Ferrari, including Hamilton’s signing. But, when asked if Vasseur deserves the team principal of the year award because of his successful pursuit of the seven-time world champion, Steiner wasn’t as convinced as the hosts.
The former Haas F1 team boss would rather wait and see how the Briton performs over making any wild predictions. There have been doubts over Hamilton’s imminent move to the Italian side given how much he’s struggled this year.
One of the biggest weaknesses that were exposed at Mercedes for Hamilton this year was his qualifying pace. But Vasseur himself is unfazed by this. When asked, he said he knows that the points are doled out on a Sunday and Hamilton is still one of the strongest drivers over a Grand Prix distance.
