Andrea Stella admitted relief and satisfaction with the way Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri continue working together at McLaren. The relationship between the two drivers was a concern after the intense battle for the title in the 2025 Formula 1 season, which was won by Norris.
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Norris and Piastri fought for the championship during last season, with the Briton winning his first Formula 1 title, with Piastri also being surpassed by Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing. Piastri entered the August break last year as the favorite but had a difficult second half of the season and finished third, behind Norris and Verstappen.
Given the natural tension caused by the championship battle until the last race, there was a possibility that the relationship between the two drivers would be affected this year. According to Stella, however, the opposite happened, with the duo strengthening the partnership and Piastri increasingly relying on the team’s support.
“Another aspect that I really like about our drivers is the way they are working together,” said Stella. The McLaren boss acknowledged that it was not guaranteed that the harmony built by the two would remain intact after the 2025 title battle.
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“It was not guaranteed that, after last year, when they found themselves fighting for the world title until the last race, the harmony they had built would remain intact,” he added. For Stella, the relationship between Norris, Piastri, and the team itself was not only preserved but became even stronger.
The manager highlighted that the situation also represents an evolution for Piastri: “Although this could, in a way, be expected from Lando, since he was the one who ended up becoming champion, it was not so predictable for Oscar, who instead began to rely even more on the team to accelerate his development, both on and off the track,” he concluded.
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