McLaren’s Stella Praises Piastri and Norris’ Rivalry in 2025 F1 Season
Stella: No Tension in McLaren Briefings Despite On-Track Battles
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has commended his drivers, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, for their professionalism in handling their on-track battles during the 2025 Formula 1 season.
As the two drivers continue to push each other, Stella revealed that team briefings remain calm and constructive, with no added tension despite their close competition.
“The briefing is not getting tougher,” Stella said, via Formula1.com. “The conversations are the same that we always have.”
With Piastri and Norris often starting near each other on the grid, Stella acknowledged that the team occasionally reinforces their racing guidelines before lights out, especially when wheel-to-wheel action is expected into Turn 1.
“Obviously, when the two drivers start next to each other and there is 800 meters to corner one, you might have to reiterate every detail of the way we go racing together,” Stella explained.
However, the McLaren boss emphasized that both drivers have respected the team’s philosophy while still competing hard.
Norris & Piastri: A Model of Respectful Rivalry
Stella’s comments highlight the strong dynamic between championship leader Piastri (186 points) and Norris, who is 10 points behind.
“So far, I just can only be very grateful to Lando and Oscar, who have approached this internal competition with a great sense of responsibility,” Stella said. “They’re pretty much sticking to the letter of what are our racing principles and approach.”
This mature approach has been crucial for McLaren as they battle to secure another Constructors’ Championship and secure the team’s first Drivers’ Championship since 2008.
So far, Piastri has won five races in 2025, with Norris winning a couple.
Although they haven’t had many wheel-to-wheel battles, it could be interesting to watch how things develop.
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