After a difficult 2025, Oscar Piastri is back at Suzuka and impressing Andrea Stella with his mental growth and resilience.
Even though he missed the first two races of the season—the Australian Grand Prix due to an incident in the formation laps, and the Chinese Grand Prix because of a reliability issue—McLaren believes it has rediscovered the real Oscar Piastri.
In the first half of last season, the Australian driver had shown his immense talent, outperforming his teammate in terms of results. The second half of the year, however, was marked by a string of disappointing outcomes that not only cost him the head-to-head battle with Lando Norris but also relegated him to third in the championship, behind Max Verstappen.
The 2001-born driver had shown a slight resurgence only in the final two races of 2025, finishing ahead of his teammate. It now appears that his upward form is continuing.
The P2 finish at Suzuka made Andrea Stella particularly proud. After all, having had the chance to fight for a World Championship and not succeeding could have put the McLaren driver in a negative mindset difficult to escape from.
“Even though Oscar didn’t take part in the first two races of the season, based on what we’ve seen in testing, practice sessions, qualifying, and considering his overall attitude and mental strength, I think we are witnessing the best version of Oscar,” stated the team principal.
Andrea Stella praises Piastri: “His attitude positively influences the team”
While Piastri may seem less charismatic on camera, his behavior, according to Stella, has a positive impact on the entire Woking team.
“One thing I think we’ve clearly seen is his consistency, his strength, and his ability to pass that on to the team, because the team draws a lot of inspiration from the charismatic leadership that drivers can provide, and this is certainly a big help to the squad in facing challenges,” the former Ferrari race engineer explained.
This is particularly important given the current situation McLaren is facing. After winning the last two Constructors’ Championships, the British team no longer holds the privileged position of the team to beat. But with the right work, closing the gap to Mercedes and Ferrari is still achievable.
The lingering regret for Oscar Piastri
In light of these performances, the regret of not fully exploiting last season’s most competitive car to fight for the World Championship remains a weight that Piastri will carry for some time. Especially now that it has become clear the MCL40 is still not at the level of Mercedes, meaning that, at least in the short term, McLaren must chase rather than dictate the pace.
However, the path that the Australian has embarked on appears to be the right one: mental strength, consistency, and the ability to respond to difficulties are qualities that could prove decisive. In Formula 1, beyond raw talent, what truly matters is being ready when the right car comes along.
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