Stella reveals ‘a useful characteristic’ driving Piastri progress

Oscar Piastri’s commanding victory in last Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix brought to light once again a critical trait fueling the Australian driver’s meteoric rise, according to McLaren team boss Andrea Stella.

Starting from pole, Piastri delivered a flawless performance, securing his second win of the 2025 season and closing the gap to teammate Lando Norris to just three points in the Drivers’ Championship.

The 24-year-old’s victory in Sakhir stood out for its precision and control, a stark contrast to earlier challenges like his slip-up in wet conditions at his home race in Melbourne at the start of the season.

But Stella described it as Piastri’s “most robust” victory yet.

“For me, this one is the one in which he’s been just, I think, most robust. No hesitations, no inaccuracies. Everything that was available, he capitalized on,” Stella said in Bahrain.

“So for me, this gives me more the sense of robustness, you know, solid racing.”

Comparing it to Piastri’s defensive masterclass in Azerbaijan last year, Stella noted: “If you think of the victory in Baku, for instance, it was a pretty crystalline, clinic victory, that one with Leclerc attacking him every single lap.

“I think the Baku one was more on the edge, it was more pressure, this one was more managing gaps, if anything.

"But obviously, being strong at the start, restarts, it shouldn’t be given for granted for somebody who is at the 50th race in F1, which is quite impressive.”

The Key to Piastri’s Progress

Piastri’s outstanding natural ability suffers no doubt. But Stella attributes the Aussie’s rapid improvement not only to his skills, but also to a unique mental clarity.

“I am impressed but not surprised,” he said. “I’m not surprised because for us, like I always repeat, it was very apparent pretty much straight away that we were dealing with a driver with incredible natural talent, but associated also to some particular characteristics, I would say.

“I’ve always said that there’s no noise in Oscar’s head, which is a very useful characteristic in F1, and I think this allows him to progress, to process information, to process what’s available in the situations as a way of improving himself at a very fast rate.”

Accelerated Learning Curve

The absence of “noise” implies Piastri maintains composure in high-stakes scenarios. But his mental clarity also accelerates his learning as Stella suggests.

“For being race 50 in F1, certainly what he’s achieving is pretty remarkable,” he added.

“But what I can say is that considering his qualities and considering the way he approaches race weekends and his F1 experience, I think he will be able to sustain this growth and this trajectory for the years to come.

“So it’s a very interesting prospect for the entire F1, I would say.”

Read also:

• Brown: 'Epic' Norris-Piastri battle 'only a matter of time'

With four wins in under a year, Piastri’s Bahrain performance underscores his ability to handle pressure and capitalize on opportunities.

In the wake of McLaren’s first Bahrain victory, Piastri’s “no-noise” mindset signals a driver poised to shape F1’s future.

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