Are Stella and Piastri genuinely intent on leaving McLaren?
Amid rumours that Andrea Stella and Oscar Piastri are on their way to leave McLaren, the Woking-based outfit's team boss addressed the speculation, dinying such changes.
McLaren has found itself at the centre of an unusually early silly season, with rumours ranging from the improbable to the outright fantastical. Reports have suggested that team principal Andrea Stella could be heading to Ferrari, that Oscar Piastri might be lured to Red Bull, and that incoming race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase could even be lined up as Stella’s successor.
Speaking last time out in Montreal, Stella addressed every rumour directly, offering a clear andwer by framing the situation with a touch of humour.
“Well, I think the reaction is in your question. You mentioned the silly season, and I think we are already fully in this silly season", started Stella.
From there, he moved systematically through the speculation, starting with Oscar Piastri. Stella emphasised that McLaren could not be more pleased with the young Australian’s development and integration within the team.
“When we think about Oscar, we couldn’t be happier. I think we are seeing the best Oscar in the cockpit and also a happy Oscar, and the best version of himself outside the cockpit.”
He highlighted the productive and harmonious partnership between Piastri and Lando Norris, calling it a cornerstone of McLaren’s current strength: "Great dynamics and relationship with Lando, and I think the team is in its strongest shape since I’ve been Team Principal. So definitely it’s very clear, the direction for maximum stability at McLaren.”
Addressing the rumours about his own future, Stella was equally unequivocal. “When it comes to myself, I’m definitely fully committed to McLaren.
“One of the things that makes me more proud of my experience as a Team Principal is that we managed to fill the cabinet at MTC with trophies, and this meant that we needed to create another area of the cabinet, a new one.”
That expansion, he said, is not symbolic but motivational: “For me the mission is very clear: we need to fill that new area of the cabinet for the years to come at McLaren.”
Finally, Stella addressed the arrival of Gianpiero Lambiase, whose move from Red Bull triggered the most dramatic speculation. Stella dismissed the idea of Lambiase being hired for anything other than his expertise.
“And GP? It’s very simple. At McLaren, we want to employ the best people in Formula 1, the best expertise, the best leaders. And the fact that GP decided to join McLaren, for me, just speaks to the credibility of our team.”
Stella closed his remarks by returning to the broader theme. “So, silly season, what’s important for us is stability and that the best talents in Formula 1 want to join McLaren.”
