McLaren team principal Andrea Stella speaks words of praise about his driver Oscar Piastri after his second place at Suzuka. The Australian not only completed his first race of the season in Japan, but also immediately took the first podium of 2026 for the British team. According to Stella, Piastri is in the form of his life: ‘We are seeing the strongest Oscar since he has been in Formula 1’.
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Oscar Piastri already had two retirements in three Grands Prix this year. The Australian finished a race for the first time during the recent Japanese GP. He immediately took a second place; the first podium of 2026 for McLaren. The McLaren driver had a flying start at Suzuka, but lost the lead of the race to eventual winner Andrea Kimi Antonelli due to bad luck with the timing of the safety car.
After the race, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella stated that the ‘best version’ of Piastri is currently driving in Formula 1. “Although Oscar was not at the start of the two most important races at the beginning of the 2026 season, I think – based on what we have seen during testing, practice and qualifying, and given his overall attitude and mental strength – that we are now seeing the best version of Oscar,” Stella told the media present. “We are seeing the strongest Oscar since he has been in Formula 1.”
The Italian team principal finds his driver’s return to the podium very impressive, considering he started the season having to watch two Grands Prix from the sidelines. “That can really knock you down as a driver,” Stella further explained. “But we have seen his steadfastness and his strength. It is a strength that he has managed to pass on to the team. The team draws a lot of inspiration from the charismatic leadership of the drivers. That has certainly given the whole team a boost to endure the setbacks.”
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Upgrades
Despite Piastri’s podium finish in Japan, McLaren is not yet at the desired level, according to Stella. To challenge Mercedes during every Grand Prix, upgrades are needed. “I think during the Japanese GP we were honestly surprised ourselves that we were able to win,” he said. “If we want to remain consistently in this form in the future, we need to improve the chassis by a few tenths of a second. That is our goal regarding the upgrades for the upcoming races.”
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