McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has lauded the professional conduct of his drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, following their high-stakes competition during last season’s drivers’ championship. Norris, the reigning world champion, secured his maiden title after a grueling three-way battle that included Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. The victory was particularly notable as Piastri had maintained a 34-point advantage with only nine races remaining in the season.
Despite the intense pressure of that title fight, which saw the teammates competing on even terms until the final race, their relationship remained remarkably stable. Stella noted that maintaining such a positive dynamic was not guaranteed, yet the bond between the two drivers and the wider team has only strengthened since that period. He specifically highlighted Piastri’s maturity in relying on the team to further his development, while also acknowledging Norris’s growth as a champion.
The team currently faces a challenging 2026 campaign under revised technical regulations, with McLaren trailing the pace set by Mercedes and Ferrari. In the current standings, Mercedes’ young talent Kimi Antonelli holds a 50-point lead over Ferrari’s seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. Norris, currently sitting in fifth place, trails the championship leader by 91 points.
Despite the current deficit, Stella remains optimistic about the remainder of the season, particularly following Norris’s victory in Hungary just before the summer break. The team principal emphasized that the championship is far from decided, with 12 races still remaining on the calendar.
“If we can continue the season as we did in Budapest, I think we can still achieve a great deal,” Stella stated. He added that with 546 points still available, the team must focus on aggressive development to outpace rivals who are also pushing forward. Stella remains committed to ensuring McLaren provides the necessary support for both drivers to maximize their potential in the final stretch of the year.
“It wasn’t a given that, after last year — when they found themselves battling for the world title right up to the final race — the harmony they’d built would remain intact: yet not only has this not changed, but the r
