McLaren's Stella: Piastri showing 'best version' after Japanese GP podium

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella hailed Oscar Piastri's mental fortitude and performance after the Australian secured his first podium of 2026 with a strong second-place finish at the Japanese Grand Prix, declaring it the "best version" of the driver seen in Formula 1.

Why it matters:

After a deeply frustrating start to the season where he failed to start the first two races due to separate car issues, Piastri's immediate return to top form is a testament to his resilience. For McLaren, having both drivers performing at their peak is critical to consistently challenging Mercedes and Ferrari, and Piastri's Suzuka drive provided a significant morale boost for the entire team.

The details:

• Piastri, who had not completed a racing lap in 2026 prior to Suzuka, qualified strongly and seized the race lead from polesitter Kimi Antonelli at the start.
• His potential victory bid was undone by an ill-timed Safety Car, which gifted Antonelli a cheap pit stop, but Piastri fended off intense pressure from George Russell and Charles Leclerc to secure P2.
• Stella emphasized that Piastri's strength was evident not just in pace but in his attitude, stating the adversity at the start of the year "can really bog you down," especially after a DNS at his home race in Melbourne.
• The team principal credited Piastri's "steadiness" and "charismatic leadership" with inspiring the team through a difficult period, calling it "a booster for the entire team to go through the adverse."

The big picture:

Despite the celebratory podium, Stella immediately tempered expectations, acknowledging McLaren is not yet a consistent front-runner. He expressed surprise that the MCL60 was in a position to fight for the win in Japan and stated clear upgrades are needed to make that a regular occurrence.

What's next:

The focus shifts to development. Stella explicitly stated that to compete for victories consistently, McLaren "will have to improve the chassis by a few tenths of a second," with upgrades targeted for the coming races. The team's responsibility is now to provide Piastri and teammate Lando Norris with a car capable of regularly converting their potential into wins.