Oscar Piastri during the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix. Image: Batchelor / XPB Images
Piastri’s second-place finish in the Japanese Grand Prix marked a turning point after a bruising start to the season, having failed to start the opening two races.
Having arrived at Suzuka without a single grand prix lap completed this year, Piastri immediately impressed by qualifying third and then surging into the lead at the start, controlling much of the opening stint.
He ultimately finished second after a Safety Car swung the advantage towards eventual race winner Kimi Antonelli.
The McLaren team principal said the circumstances surrounding Piastri’s difficult opening rounds made the Suzuka performance even more significant, particularly given the disappointment of missing his home race.
“Despite Oscar not having started the two main races at the start of the 2026 season, based on what we have seen in testing, in practice, in qualifying, based on his overall attitude and mental strength, I think we have seen the best version of Oscar, the strongest Oscar since he’s been in Formula 1,” Stella said.
“I think, finally, he has had an opportunity to demonstrate it, and he has done it in his own extent.
“Having gone through two races, especially in the home race, where you are not in a condition to start, for a situation that was completely avoidable, can really bog you down.”
Instead, Stella pointed to the way Piastri absorbed those setbacks as evidence of his growth, echoing comments made prior to the weekend about the 24-year-old’s resilience and influence within the team.
“If anything, I think we’ve seen his steadiness, his strength — and a strength that has been able to be passed on to the team,” he said.
“The team gets a lot of inspiration from the charismatic leadership that the drivers can offer. That’s been definitely a boost for the entire team to go through the adversity.”
Piastri himself described the Suzuka weekend as one of the most complete of his career, underlining the execution that allowed McLaren to fight at the front despite not having the fastest package.
“I think this weekend was probably one of my best weekends in F1,” he said.
“In the race there wasn’t anything more we could have done. We got a good start. The pace was good.
“I felt like I was strategic or smart with how I used the boost and how I managed that side of racing.”
While the result provided a much-needed boost for McLaren after its early-season struggles, Stella made clear the responsibility now shifts to the team to match Piastri’s level with a more competitive car.
“So really well done to Oscar for the way he’s been facing this start of the season, and now it’s a responsibility of McLaren and the team to offer Lando [Norris] and Oscar, once again, a car that can compete for victories,” he added.
Despite the podium, McLaren remains off the pace of Mercedes, with the scale of the deficit laid bare in the closing stages at Suzuka, where Antonelli crossed the line 13.7 seconds clear of the Australian.
Stella admitted further gains are required if the team is to consistently contend at the front.
“I think if we want to be in this condition in the future consistently, we will have to improve the chassis by a few tenths of a second,” he said.
“And that’s the aim that we have in relation to bringing upgrades to the coming races.”
McLaren sit third in the constructors’ championship, 89 points behind championship leaders Mercedes.