Will this be the deciding factor in the World Championship duel with Lando Norris? According to McLaren team boss Andrea Stella, Oscar Piastri has made great strides in tire management in 2025
Is this the key to his first world championship title? Oscar Piastri has won three Formula 1 races in a row and already has four Grand Prix victories after six races this season. The Australian now leads the world championship standings by 16 points ahead of teammate Lando Norris and 32 ahead of world champion Max Verstappen.
A key factor in the McLaren driver’s run is his tire management—at least that’s what his team boss Andrea Stella believes: “When you look at how Oscar is currently managing tire wear, it’s crystal clear that this improvement isn’t coming from the car alone.”
The Italian is convinced: “The progress we’ve made with the car only reaches its full potential when the driver understands how to handle the tires and the car – and that’s exactly the case with Oscar.” For Stella, it’s quite clear: “This is no coincidence, nor is it simply because he’s gotten a little older.”
Stella praises Piastri: “Proof of the high quality of the work”
There is much more to it than that, “an enormous amount of work on the part of the engineers: They analyzed how driving style affects the tires, how tire wear is caused—and how it can be avoided,” said the McLaren team boss, who points out: “This is not about a blanket improvement that applies to every situation.”
“There’s a big difference between having to contend with graining on the front axle or on the rear axle, with overheating at the front or at the rear. You have to be able to deal with each of these situations individually,” explains the Italian, praising his protégé in this context: “I see this as proof of the high quality of the work done by Oscar and the team around him.”
However, the McLaren team boss does not want to leave out teammate Lando Norris, for whom the same applies: “We are also seeing clear progress with him. In the last stint on the hard tires, Lando was even a little faster than Oscar in places,” explains Stella, looking back on the last Grand Prix in Miami.
While Piastri was able to pace himself and his tires at the front of the race, “he unfortunately lost too much time in two situations in his duel with Verstappen,” said Stella, referring to Norris: “Otherwise, it could have been an exciting duel between our two drivers – but I’m sure that will come in the races ahead.” Even then, it will be crucial who is the better tire wizard…
