After a double DNS for McLaren at the 2026 Chinese GP, Andrea Stella defended the start of their F1 season. Oscar Piastri has not yet completed a single lap of a Grand Prix. Lando Norris has had slightly better luck as he was able to start and complete the Australian Grand Prix, finishing P5.
Speaking after the 2026 F1 Chinese GP, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella was asked about the morale of his drivers following a tough start to the year. He credited both drivers for their positive attitude and resilience.
“It is a tough moment, that’s for sure. If we consider that Oscar has not been able to start a race in the start of the 2026 campaign, that’s pretty difficult for Oscar to process.
“But at the same time, and this was testified and witnessed in the conversation with Lando and Oscar after the race, both remain quite positive. I think what we have gone through at McLaren in terms of the journey from 2023 has been such a good journey of developing a culture, a mindset, what we call internally a winner’s mindset.”
McLaren stays positive after double DNS at 2026 F1 Chinese GP
The team has had the same lineup since Piastri joined in 2023, which has allowed them to grow into the team they are now. Early in the campaign they were miles off the pace, struggling to score points. Then, upgrades turned them into regular top 5 and podiums contenders.
From there the momentum continued as more upgrades for the Miami GP in 2024 made them genuinely title contenders, ultimately taking Constructors’ glory in Abu Dhabi.
McLaren came into the 2026 F1 season as back-to-back World Constructors’ Champions, with Lando Norris trying to retain his Drivers’ crown.
Now, Andrea Stella applauds the team’s tenacity to keep a good mindset amid the hard times of the 2026 Chinese GP and the start to this F1 season.
“Just a positive attitude, which focuses us on what we can control. In this case today, there wasn’t much we could have controlled, so we just take any possible learning and we go again.
“We say, even looking at last year, when we won the double championship, we said, and I said that publicly, but we definitely said internally, the victory was not in Abu Dhabi. The victory was in Qatar and in Vegas, for the way we withstood the difficulties. That’s where you really become a champion.”
After the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix, both McLarens were disqualified for excessive wear on the skid block (also known as the plank) under the MCL39. In Qatar, a dreadful decision not to pit behind the Safety Car handed Max Verstappen a victory.
This DSQ and botched strategy sent the title fight to Abu Dhabi, where it became a three-way battle for the World Drivers’ Championship. Eventually, the British driver got over the line.
McLaren’s team principal continued on the theme of learning from the difficult days to be successful.
“So today, this is part of the same part of the journey, which is the day in which you have to withstand the difficulty, you have to process it. You have to use it to become even more of a worldwide champion in the future and gain the qualities to be a champion. That’s our mindset, and I’ve seen it completely at play today with Oscar, with Lando and with the team.”
