How one skill transformed Oscar Piastri into a genuine F1 title contender, says McLaren boss Andrea Stella

Oscar Piastri’s third season in Formula 1 is shaping up to be the one where everything starts to click. After spending much of his rookie and sophomore years grappling with tyre degradation issues, 2025 has seen a clear shift in the Australian’s approach—and the results are speaking volumes. His consistent performance and race-long pace have not just matched his teammate Lando Norris at times, but have even surpassed the Briton during certain stints, raising eyebrows across the paddock.While some might attribute this newfound confidence and control to McLaren’s 2025 car—which is reportedly gentler on the Pirellis—team principal Andrea Stella isn’t buying that as the full story. According to him, it’s not just the machinery making the difference; it’s the man behind the wheel and the team behind the scenes.“Looking at the way Oscar is mastering and managing tyre degradation at the moment, no way that this improvement would come simply from the car,” Stella said. He pointed out that while car improvements play a role, their benefits are only unlocked when the driver knows how to interpret them on track. And in Piastri’s case, that has come from hours of detailed analysis, data interpretation, and hard-earned adaptation.“This has happened not by chance, or not because Oscar is getting a little older,” Stella emphasized. “This is because there's been a lot of work done by the engineers in terms of understanding the driving style, how you damage the tyres, how you can prevent damaging the tyres.”The complexities of modern tyre management go beyond simple wear and tear. Stella explained how different forms of degradation—whether it’s front or rear graining, or temperature control—demand nuanced approaches. That Piastri has begun to manage these variables successfully under race conditions reflects his growing maturity and understanding as a driver."Like I say, I think this is testament to the quality of the work done by Oscar and the team around him,” Stella added.But Piastri’s growth isn’t happening in isolation. Lando Norris, who has traditionally been the stronger tyre manager at McLaren, continues to evolve as well. During the Miami Grand Prix, Norris showcased superior pace in the final stint on hard tyres, narrowing the gap to his teammate. Yet it was Piastri who responded when it mattered, ramping up the pace in the final three laps to take the win.“Even from Lando's point of view. I think we have seen that there's definitely improvements,” said Stella. “And if anything in the final stint on the hard tyres I could see that at times Lando was, if anything, even a little faster than Oscar.”While Norris lost valuable time due to two incidents involving Max Verstappen, Stella believes fans can expect more fireworks between McLaren’s two stars in the near future. “But I’m sure it will come in the future races.”With both drivers pushing each other and the team in the right direction, McLaren’s resurgence in 2025 feels less like a comeback and more like a carefully executed ascent. And at the heart of it all, Oscar Piastri’s transformation from a talented rookie to a complete racer is becoming hard to ignore.Also Read: 2025 British GP to feature Zak Brown behind the wheel of a historic F1 championship car