Oscar Piastri has emerged as a genuine title contender in the 2025 Formula 1 season, and McLaren team principal Andrea Stella believes the 23-year-old’s progress cannot be explained simply by the team’s car improvements.
The Australian is now leading the drivers’ championship by 16 points ahead of Lando Norris, having claimed multiple wins and consistently shown front-running pace. But Stella insists that the team’s upgraded MCL39 car is only part of the story.
“The way Oscar is mastering and managing tyre degradation at the moment, no way that this improvement would come simply from the car,” Stella told the press, including Total-Motorsport.com, following Piastri’s latest win at the Miami Grand Prix.
Piastri progress goes beyond raw McLaren pace
Piastri joined Formula 1 in 2023 under a cloud of controversy. A junior with immense pedigree, he became the subject of a contractual dispute between Alpine and McLaren.
After Alpine announced him as their 2023 driver, Piastri publicly denied the seat, eventually securing a move to McLaren after a Contract Recognition Board ruling confirmed he was free to sign elsewhere.
Replacing Daniel Ricciardo under that spotlight only raised expectations, but Piastri quietly impressed during his rookie campaign. Now in his third season, Stella sees clear evidence of a driver who has matured technically and mentally.
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“This is not by chance or because Oscar is simply getting older,” Stella added. “There’s been a lot of work done by the engineers in terms of understanding his driving style, how you damage tyres, and how to avoid it.
“That’s a testament to the quality of the work done by Oscar and the team around him.”
The MCL39 has shown remarkable tyre longevity so far in 2025, allowing both Piastri and Norris to stretch their stints longer than rivals.
That trait played a key role in Miami, where Piastri held track position after passing Max Verstappen and managed his hard tyres perfectly until the finish.
“For Lando there was just too much time lost in the two situations with Verstappen to have what could have been an interesting situation between our two drivers,” Stella said. “But I’m sure it will come in future races.”
Stella also rejected any notion that Piastri had an edge in overtaking compared to Norris.
“I don’t think we should over-read into situations,” Stella said. “In terms of overtaking manoeuvre, precision and determination, I don’t see there’s any difference between our two drivers.”
Piastri’s form has prompted renewed title talk, but Stella is careful not to credit the car alone. The key difference in 2025, he says, is that the driver has evolved alongside it.
