McLaren believes they are seeing the best version of Oscar Piastri since his arrival in Formula 1. Team principal Andrea Stella stated that the Australian showed high mental strength and performance after a complicated start to the season.
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After failing to start the first two GPs of 2026, in Melbourne and Shanghai, Piastri reacted with a strong performance at the Japanese GP. The driver qualified third, took the lead at the start, and was a contender for victory before the Safety Car entry favored Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli.
Even with the unfavorable situation, the Australian finished the race in second, close to the winner. For Stella, the performance at Suzuka confirmed the Australian driver’s evolution after the difficulties at the start of the championship.
“Despite Oscar not starting the two main races at the beginning of 2026, based on what we saw in testing, free practice, the qualifying session, and also because of his attitude and mental strength, I think we are seeing the best version of Oscar since he has been in Formula 1,” the official stated.
Stella highlighted that the driver demonstrated maturity in dealing with frustrations, including his home race, when he was unable to start due to a situation considered avoidable. According to the Italian, the way Piastri reacted was decisive in keeping the team motivated: “Finally he had the opportunity to demonstrate this fully, after going through two difficult races, especially the home race, where you are not in a position to start due to a completely avoidable situation, which can really affect you,” he said.
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The McLaren boss also stated that Piastri’s attitude helped the team overcome difficult moments, including the double problem that prevented the cars from starting in China. He highlighted that the drivers’ leadership had a direct impact on the internal environment.
“We saw his consistency and strength, and a strength that he managed to transmit to the team. The team receives a lot of inspiration from the charismatic leadership of the drivers, and that was certainly a boost to get through the adversities,” said Stella.
The official also congratulated the Australian for the way he handled the start of the season and highlighted the team’s responsibility to offer a competitive car for both drivers: “Well done to Oscar for the way he faced this start. Now it is our responsibility to offer Lando and Oscar a car capable of fighting for victories,” he added.
Stella also admitted surprise at the performance in Japan, where McLaren fought directly with Mercedes. According to him, to maintain this level in the next races, the team will need to evolve the chassis: “I think we were surprised to be in a position to win. If we want to maintain this consistently, we need to improve the chassis by a few tenths, and that is the goal with the updates for the next races,” the McLaren boss concluded.
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