Andrea Stella sees a much more confident Lando Norris in the 2026 Formula 1 season than when he fought for the title in 2025. For the McLaren boss, the driver is continuing the work done last year.
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In this championship, the British driver’s progress became evident after winning the Hungarian GP last week, McLaren’s first victory this campaign. Also, in the team’s internal battle, the current champion is leading over Oscar Piastri, occupying fifth place against the Australian who is seventh.
“I was quite impressed with Lando by how he reacted to the first third of last season. There were ups and downs, some difficulties, and also clear learning points to review and learn from, and he embraced the challenge. He worked on himself, [with] the group of engineers around him and his entire environment; it was a great development job from a personal and driving perspective,” said Stella.
“What we see today is just the continuation of that trajectory. Lando is much more confident and I think he is much more aware of the tools he has at hand and how to use them,” he added.
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Now, evaluating Piastri, the McLaren boss pointed out that the driver is going through a similar process while trying to adapt to the 2026 car. “We have seen a great development trajectory for Lando and, honestly, it is the same with Oscar as well,” he said.
“Piastri is still getting in tune with these 2026 low-grip cars, and there is an opportunity to find some rhythm. There is great work happening between Oscar, his engineering team, and his wider team, so I think we will see a very strong Oscar in the second part of the season,” he concluded.
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