Andrea Stella Praises Oscar Piastri’s Growth in F1 2025

Quoting Formula1.com, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella acknowledged that Oscar Piastri‘s strong performance in the 2025 Formula 1 season is not solely due to the dominance of the MCL39 car.

In his third season in F1, the Australian driver currently leads the standings by 16 points over teammate Lando Norris — an impressive feat considering he replaced Daniel Ricciardo just last year.

McLaren has made significant progress compared to the start of last season, when they were still struggling to break into the top five. However, Stella emphasized that Piastri‘s improvement in tire management has been key to his success.

“The way Oscar is now mastering and managing tire degradation, it’s impossible this improvement comes from the car alone,” said Stella after Piastri’s win at the Miami Grand Prix.

The Australian’s success is the result of intense work with his engineering team — understanding his driving style and how to protect the tires. In Miami, Piastri managed the hard compound tires better than Norris, who was engaged in a battle with Max Verstappen.

Stella also denied there was a significant difference in overtaking ability between his two drivers, even though Piastri passed Verstappen in one move while Norris needed multiple attempts.