McLaren staff principal Andrea Stella has outlined his aid and delight at how nicely Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have labored collectively, one thing that was a priority after the 2025 season.
Norris and Piastri battled for the drivers’ title all through final season, with the previous in the end securing his maiden world championship.
Piastri had been the favorite popping out of the summer time break earlier than enduring a surprising second half of the season and falling to 3rd behind Norris and Max Verstappen.
Given the strain that constructed, as anticipated when combating for a title, it will have been no shock if Norris and Piastri’s relationship had taken a dive.
In accordance with Stella, that has not been the case, with the pair working higher collectively than ever earlier than and Piastri leaning on the staff extra.
Discussing Norris and Piastri’s partnership this season, Stella stated: “One other side I’m actually having fun with about our drivers is the way in which they’re working collectively.”
“It wasn’t a provided that, after final yr – once they discovered themselves battling for the world title proper as much as the ultimate race – the concord they’d constructed would stay intact.
“But not solely has this not modified, however the relationship between them and with the staff has truly change into even stronger.
“And while this would possibly, in a way, have been anticipated of Lando – provided that he was in the end the one to change into champion – it was not fairly so predictable for Oscar, who, as a substitute, has relied much more closely on the staff to speed up his improvement, each on and off the monitor.”
