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McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has made it clear that the internal dynamic between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri remains intact, despite their intense championship fight last season.
Norris emerged on top over the course of the year and also had to withstand pressure from a late-charging Max Verstappen. While the contest between the two McLaren drivers was largely harmonious by historical standards, it was not without flashpoints. Certain moments — including a controversial team order in Monza after Norris lost time due to a slow pit stop — drew criticism toward the team.
Now, with McLaren starting the new Formula 1 season on the back foot compared to Mercedes and aiming to reassert itself at the front, Stella insists there are no lingering tensions from the 2025 intra-team battle.
Speaking to media including RacingNews365, Stella emphasized the strength of the relationship between his two drivers.
“When it comes to the relationship between Oscar and Lando, I’ve actually been thinking about it because I see how well they collaborate,” Stella said.
“These guys have gone through a quest for a world championship, the drivers’ world championship, the dream of their life, and competing with one another, and now they keep exhibiting this level of mutual respect.”
Stella suggested that while the team has played a role in fostering that culture, the foundation ultimately lies with the drivers themselves.
“This is perhaps something that we have helped them as a team to reflect and embed, but at the same time, and this is true for Lando as well, what I said before for Oscar, this is who they are.
“This is also why they drive a McLaren, because it just wouldn’t work, the relationship between a driver and a team, if we didn’t share the same values, the same mindset, the same approach to racing.”
Having already navigated a season-long fight for the drivers’ world championship within the same garage, Stella believes McLaren has effectively stress-tested its internal balance.
“So, I’m personally very proud of Lando and Oscar for how they are collaborating at the moment,” he said.
“If we had not had the 2025, I would say, 'let me see once they become rivals for the championship,' but we have had it already.
“At the moment I’m just proud and happy with what they are doing for McLaren and for themselves.”
For Stella, the experience of 2025 has already answered the key question. McLaren’s leadership is confident that even under the strain of a title fight, Norris and Piastri can maintain the mutual respect and shared philosophy that underpin the team’s approach to racing.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.
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