New team principal Stella has re-appointed former sporting director Gilles de Ferran as a non-executive adviser after completing a review of McLaren’s leadership structure.

The move is partly driven by the way “regulatory frameworks have become more complex”. Stella cited the introduction of cost caps as a key enabler.

He said: “The innovation and development process we started at McLaren had some priorities that we identified relatively quickly.

“They have to do with technical areas, with aerodynamics. But when you start looking at a Formula 1 team, it’s a very complex entity.

“Especially now, I would say even the regulatory framework has become more complex than it used to be. Think financial regulations.

“So one of the factors that we also want to address is that we want to have enough capacity in leadership to look at all the opportunities that you have.”

With the team already recruiting to its finance department to step up spending oversight to stay within cost caps, and with the FIA ​​set to penalize Red Bull for overbudgeting in 2021 by late October 2022, Stella believes now is the time to streamline. Time for legislation.

He said of the rulebook: “It’s very complicated, it’s complicated for all parties. It’s complicated for the teams, it’s even complicated for the FIA.

“If you think about the financial regulations, if you think about how long it takes for the FIA ​​to actually check the declaration, the submission, it takes months, that’s recognized.

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL60

Photography: Jack Grant / motorsport pictures

“There is actually a workflow that we share as a team. Of course, as McLaren we support the simplification of the regulations that the FIA ​​is pushing for.”

FIA president Mohammad bin Sulayem has previously said that improved resources are needed to increase the agency’s ability to effectively oversee the technical and financial framework.

Aston Martin stepped up scrutiny of that ability in Saudi Arabia by overturning Fernando Alonso’s five-second reprimand for the manner of his pit-stop penalty.

Aston has built its successful appeal case by citing conflicting precedent, which has made the FIA ​​critical of its enforcement of the regulations.

Stella said of the effort to simplify the rules: “That’s the direction we should definitely be taking because at the moment, it makes leading and managing a Formula 1 team quite complicated.

“It’s definitely more complicated than in the past, but it’s also more complicated for the FIA.”