Andrea Stella, team principal at McLaren, has expressed his satisfaction that drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have maintained a strong and harmonious relationship following last season’s intense title battle. He also remains optimistic about Norris’s chances of defending his world championship.
Last season, Norris ultimately secured his maiden world title in a fierce competition that included teammate Oscar Piastri and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Despite Piastri holding a 34-point lead with nine races remaining, Norris managed to prevail by the end of the campaign.
The title fight featured several tense moments, testing McLaren’s internal ‘papaya rules’ designed to ensure fair play between the two drivers. However, McLaren has struggled to replicate the form shown in recent years under the new 2026 sporting regulations, with Mercedes currently leading the championship ahead of Ferrari.
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Stella commended both drivers on their performances and was particularly pleased to see that the good rapport within the team has not only endured but strengthened. He noted that while harmony was expected from Norris as the reigning champion, it was less certain for Piastri, who has increasingly relied on the team to develop his skills on and off the track.
“So much could have changed after last year, given how closely the two battled for the world title right up to the final race,” Stella commented in a McLaren Q&A session. “Yet, rather than weakening, the relationship between them and with the team has grown stronger. Oscar, especially, has leaned on the team to accelerate his development.”
This season, Mercedes have adapted well to the 2026 regulations, enabling their young driver, Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli, to secure six victories and hold a commanding 50-point lead over Lewis Hamilton, with teammate George Russell a further nine points behind.
Norris currently sits fifth in the championship standings, 91 points behind Antonelli, but did claim his first win of the season at the Hungarian Grand Prix before the recent summer break, signaling potential progress for McLaren.
Stella is committed to continuing this positive trend and stresses that McLaren has not abandoned hope of defending titles in both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships.
“If we can maintain the momentum we showed in Budapest, I believe there is still much to be achieved,” he said. “We must continue to develop our car and progress faster than our rivals, who are certainly not standing still.”
With 12 races remaining and 546 points still available, Stella emphasised that there remain ample opportunities to close the gap, despite the current significant difference in standings.
“Last year taught us valuable lessons,” he added. “And if we’ve prepared a new display cabinet for our recent trophies at the McLaren Technology Centre, we owe it to ourselves to keep filling it.”