McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has expressed full confidence in Oscar Piastri’s ability to rebound from a difficult Azerbaijan Grand Prix, drawing parallels between the Australian’s challenging weekend and the occasional off-races experienced by legendary drivers, including Michael Schumacher.
Despite leading the world championship, Piastri’s Baku outing proved disastrous. An early crash in qualifying relegated him to a ninth-place grid position. His Sunday then unraveled further with a false start, which triggered an anti-stall system and dropped him to the back of the pack. His race ended abruptly on the opening lap after a misjudgment of grip levels sent his car into the barriers at turn five.
Stella, who previously worked with seven-time champion Schumacher at Ferrari, placed Piastri’s response to the incident in the same category as the sport’s elite. He noted that even the most dominant drivers in history have endured similar weekends where the primary takeaway is a learning experience.
The Baku result halted Piastri’s 34-race consecutive points-scoring streak. The driver himself characterized the event as marred by unforced errors. Stella, however, emphasized that such occurrences are not a cause for alarm, stating they are almost a rite of passage for every champion.
The damage to Piastri’s championship lead was mitigated as his closest rival, teammate Lando Norris, also struggled, managing only a seventh-place finish. The gap between them now stands at 25 points with seven rounds remaining.
Stella, having also collaborated with other world champions, pointed to Piastri’s capacity for rapid learning and mental fortitude as key strengths. He revealed that Piastri has already processed the setback and is focused on applying the lessons learned to the upcoming races, a trait Stella believes will be crucial in the tightly contested final phase of the season.
