McLaren surprised by impact of big-money Red Bull signing

McLaren boss Andrea Stella has hailed the transformative impact big-money Red Bull signing Rob Marshall has had on the team.

Former Adrian Newey lieutenant Marshall was Red Bull’s chief engineering officer when it was announced he was leaving in May 2023 to join McLaren as technical director responsible for engineering and design, although shorlty after he started in January 2024, the role was changed to chief designer.

Marshall helped McLaren to win the constructors’ in 2024, its first title since 1998, as Stella detailed how transformative Marshall had been, especially in being hands-on.

“Rob came with a wealth of experience and knowledge from a technical point of view and with a reputation,” Stella told media including RacingNews365. 

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

“It is because of these qualities, like the knowledge of how you design a car, especially from a car layout point of view, this is very important for 2025 and for 2026, and we missed this role at McLaren before.

“In addition to that, Rob brings fantastic human qualities, he is a very positive person, and everyone enjoys working with him. He is full of energy.

“You can see him in the garage, and very often he’s just playing under the car, on the ground, like everyone appreciates his incredible knowledge and experience.

“But at the same time, he’s hands-on, and sometimes even his head is dirty because it was hands-on with the parts, so that’s something that we missed before, and we are glad that now we have it.”