McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri: High marks from Andrea Stella

It was only in the final race before the summer break that McLaren’s world champion team was able to celebrate its first Grand Prix victory of the year. Champion Lando Norris crossed the finish line first, whilst his team-mate Oscar Piastri suffered a bitter retirement. A gearbox failure meant that the Australian was unable to finish a Grand Prix for the third time this year.

Nevertheless, the 25-year-old from Melbourne has also been given a positive interim assessment by Andrea Stella. The team principal explained in a team interview: “I am very pleased with the performance of our drivers. For Oscar and Lando, as well as for the other 20 Formula 1 drivers on the grid, the new rules were a real challenge. The new generation of cars not only requires drivers to adapt their own driving style, but also to gain a better understanding of how to make the best use of the new power units.”

A complicated learning process

“The learning process was very complicated at times, and because we experienced various reliability issues, it was slowed down, particularly in the early races. Both drivers responded well and devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the task of gathering the necessary insights. They worked day and night with the team. Of course, there are still a few things that can be improved, particularly with regard to the power unit. And that’s why we’re also working closely with our engine partner, Mercedes,” explains the Italian engineer.

“Another aspect that gives me great pleasure is the collaboration between our drivers. It’s going very well, and that’s not something to be taken for granted, considering that both were still battling it out for the world championship title last year. Not only is the harmony intact, but the drivers’ relationship with each other and with the team has improved even further,” adds the 55-year-old. “In a way, this was to be expected from Lando, as he was crowned world champion. But Oscar, too, has put in even more effort and relied even more heavily on the team to drive his own development as a driver – both on and off the track.”

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