Stella: Piastri and Norris, Compete Like Champions
McLaren boss Andrea Stella has praised the performance of his drivers, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, describing their competition as worthy of champions. Stella anticipates that the Formula 1 title will be decided by minimal margins and moments of individual brilliance.
The internal rivalry at McLaren has become the main focus of attention, with Piastri and Norris separated by 16 points in the standings. Piastri leads the table, and McLaren has achieved six one-two finishes this season, including Piastri’s victory at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen of Red Bull is in third place, but is 81 points behind, reducing his chances of a fifth consecutive title. With 11 races remaining, McLaren seems set to secure the constructors’ championship, with a significant lead over Ferrari.
Norris won at Silverstone, and Piastri was penalized, but the Australian recovered in Spa. Stella highlighted the high quality of the competition between Piastri and Norris, indicating that precision and the quality of execution will be crucial in determining the final result.McLaren’s Oscar Piastri is first in the 2025 driver’s standings while his teammate Lando Norris is second.Stella, who worked with champions at Ferrari, highlighted that both McLaren drivers are performing at an exceptional level. In Spa, the race began with a rolling start in wet conditions after several laps behind the safety car. Norris, despite starting from pole position, was unable to maintain his lead.
Piastri faced a similar situation in Saturday’s sprint race, where Verstappen won from second position. Stella pointed out that a sporting problem for Piastri during the safety car restart at Silverstone cost him the race. At Spa, the strategy and the characteristics of the circuit made it difficult for Norris to maintain his leading position.
Stella ruled out a battery problem as the main cause of the situation, suggesting that a small anomaly affected both cars and that Norris should not have been at a disadvantage. He also commented that Norris did not help himself by not achieving a good advantage.
Execution is what will make the main difference.
Piastri, after qualifying second, was optimistic about his chances, considering Spa a circuit where you don’t necessarily need to have the best lap. His strategy, focused on the maneuver at Eau Rouge, demonstrated his determination to win the race.
