LONDON, Aug 7 (Bernama-PA Media/dpa) -- McLaren boss Andrea Stella is pleased Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have remained a harmonious pairing in the wake of last season’s title scrap and has not yet given up hope of the British driver being able to defend his crown, PA Media/dpa reported.
Norris ultimately triumphed over his teammate in a season-long battle – which also involved Red Bull’s Max Verstappen – to clinch a maiden world title, after Piastri had held a 34-point lead with nine races remaining.
There were a number of flashpoints and moments of contention in the title run-in, with McLaren’s ‘papaya rules’ put to the test in a bid to ensure a level playing field between their title protagonists.
McLaren have not been able to match their form of recent seasons under the sport’s new regulations for 2026, as Mercedes have led the way from Ferrari.
But Stella has heaped praise on the performance of his drivers and is particularly happy to see peace remains, which he admits was not certain on Piastri’s side of the garage.
“It wasn’t a given that, after last year – when they found themselves battling for the world title right up to the final race – the harmony they’d built would remain intact: yet not only has this not changed, but the relationship between them and with the team has actually become even stronger,” team principal Stella said in a McLaren Q&A.
“And whilst this might, in a sense, have been expected of Lando – given that he was ultimately the one to become champion – it was not quite so predictable for Oscar, who, instead, has relied even more heavily on the team to accelerate his development, both on and off the track.”
Mercedes have nailed the 2026 rules to give Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli the platform to claim six victories and hold a 50-point lead over Lewis Hamilton, with his teammate George Russell nine points further back.
Norris sits fifth, a hefty 91 points off the lead, but he did pick up a first win of the season in Hungary before the current summer break as McLaren showed signs of progress.
Stella is determined to continue that upward trajectory and will not yet give up hope of defending both drivers’ and constructors’ championships.
“If we can continue the season as we did in Budapest, I think we can still achieve a great deal,” he added.
“To do so, we must keep pushing with the development and ensure we outpace our rivals – who certainly aren’t standing still.
“There are still 12 races left on the calendar, so there are plenty of opportunities given that 546 points are up for grabs.
“Of course, the gap in both championships is significant, but we remember last year’s lesson well: after all, I always tell the team that if we’ve set up a new display cabinet to house the new, recent trophies at the McLaren Technology Centre, then we have a duty to do our utmost to keep filling it.”
-- BERNAMA-PA MEDIA/dpa