Stella Stays at McLaren Piastri Bullish on 2026 Prospects

McLaren F1 gears up for future regulation shifts as director Andrea Stella renews his contract, backed by driver Oscar Piastri’s optimism for 2026.

Andrea Stella has recently extended his contract to remain as the director of McLaren F1 for several years, thereby managing the initial years of the forthcoming regulations. Oscar Piastri, one of the team’s two drivers, is pleased that the Italian is continuing.

“I am delighted that Andrea has renewed his contract. I think it’s very, very important to have stability, especially with someone as crucial as the team director. He has been an incredible leader for us for a year and a half and will be vital for the new era in 2026,” Piastri told Forbes.

The Australian is looking forward to the new regulations: “It’s an exciting prospect. The changes to the engine, which will come into effect in 2026, could shift the balance at the top and bottom of the grid. There will, therefore, be a significant scope for improvement for the teams over time.”

“History has shown that there is always one team that does better than the others at the start. It wouldn’t be entirely surprising to see a team pull ahead in 2026. Hopefully, that will be us. But we shall wait and see.”

Asked about his training routine, Piastri explained that he must maintain his physical fitness during race weekends: “If you don’t train during the weekends, you will never do it,” he revealed, before describing how his Grand Prix weeks are organised.

“It somewhat depends on the simulator schedule. Sometimes, Tuesday is a simulator day, which means you need to train on Monday, fly to the factory on Tuesday, use the simulator, train again on Wednesday, and arrive at the circuit either in the evening or on Thursday morning for the media day.”

The Challenges of Media Attention and Celebrity

Media scrutiny is a challenge for any young driver, with every strength and flaw magnified: “It’s there, but I think a lot of it is true. I didn’t need the media to tell me that I had made a mistake by going too deep into the pits at Spa.”

“Of course, that’s something they’re going to report on, and rightly so. And then, on the other hand, there are those just trying to garner clicks and attention. So, there are two different sides to the media.”

“I find it quite easy to ignore all the rumors and people trying to fabricate stories. But I think a lot of the true things are interesting in a way.”

What surprises him most, he says, is the aspect of fame and being recognized on the street: “You can receive advice on how to deal with the media and work with sponsors, but fame is really something you can’t learn.”

“There’s no manual for it. It’s one thing to be recognized on the track, that’s normal. What has surprised me the most is the number of people who have begun to recognize me off the track, in everyday life.”

Revelation: a fractured rib during his 1st F1 victory

Piastri revealed today that he has been recovering from a fractured rib for at least a month.

Piastri shared a post on his Instagram to celebrate the summer break, revealing that he has been nursing an injury for several weeks.

Along with a selection of images from the opening phase of the season, Piastri captioned his message: “First part of the season done. First GP win. First broken bone. My broken rib is enjoying the break.”

The McLaren driver shared an image of an X-ray showing he had suffered a fracture to his sixth rib. The date reads “8 July 2024,” which suggests it was taken the Monday following the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, just before his victory in Hungary!