Stella: Piastri’s title charge fueled by ‘holistic’ growth

McLaren team boss Andrea Stella has hailed Oscar Piastri’s remarkable personal development this season that has solidified his status as a leading contender for the 2025 world title.

The 24-year-old Australian has not only showcased raw speed but has also adopted a comprehensive approach to refining his skills, positioning him as a dominant force in a fiercely competitive season.

Now in his third full-time F1 season, Piastri has surged to the top of the standings, claiming five victories from the first ten races and opening up a 22-point lead over his McLaren teammate Lando Norris.

His impressive campaign marks a significant step up from his rookie and sophomore seasons – the latter of which helped McLaren clinch the Constructors’ Championship in 2024.

A Leap in Speed and Skill

Reflecting on Piastri’s leap forward this season, Stella pinpointed outright speed as the key factor behind the Aussie’s ascension.

“Well, I think the most important improvement, if anything, is that Oscar has become a faster driver,” Stella said recently, quoted by Motorsport Week.

“I think when you are a faster driver then you have more opportunity, more time to process, more bandwidth to process things. And this is true when you are in the car, and this is also true when you are outside the car.

“Because the speed is there – let’s process all the other marginal gains that will then, at the end of the weekend, constitute the performance that you need to have the kind of results that he’s having at the moment.”

While Piastri’s potential was already apparent during his rookie year, consistency had proven elusive — particularly in qualifying. Norris comfortably out-qualified him 20-4 in 2024, with a noticeable edge in one-lap pace.

But in 2025, the tables have turned. Piastri now holds the qualifying advantage, and his improved tyre management has translated into race-winning form, aided in part by the superior tyre preservation characteristics of McLaren’s MCL39.

A Holistic Approach to Growth

Stella credits Piastri’s winter preparation as a turning point in his development.

“Over the winter, there’s been a very specific amount of work that has gone – [he] has paid attention to different areas. It’s been quite holistic,” Stella noted.

This meticulous focus on refining every aspect of his race craft, from one-lap speed to race strategy, has elevated Piastri’s performance to new heights.

Guiding the young Grand Prix winner’s rise is his manager, former Red Bull driver Mark Webber. The Australian, who was instrumental in moving Piastri from Alpine to McLaren during the summer of 2022, has crucially helped shape his protégé’s approach to the pressures of a championship fight.

Webber’s experience has helped Piastri maintain composure and focus as he vies for his first Drivers’ title.

“While Oscar is definitely the main one to praise for these developments, I would like to mention the team around Oscar,” said Stella.

“His engineers and all the support from the factory with all the analysis – and even the team, Mark Webber, that works with Oscar.”

• Read also: Relaxed Piastri not looking at F1 title as ‘do or die’ chance

With McLaren in dominant form and both drivers performing at an elite level, the team finds itself in the enviable position of leading both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships.

But as Piastri stakes his claim for a maiden title, Stella’s words make clear that his success is no fluke – it’s the result of deliberate, data-driven evolution and a highly determined drive to improve.

As the F1 season approaches its mid-point, Piastri has not only cemented his status as a rising star but is beginning to look like a champion in waiting.

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