McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella has reflected on the first half of the 2026 F1 season, praising the way Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have responded to the demands of the new regulatory era. He also highlighted the continued growth of Reserve and Development Driver Leonardo Fornaroli. Speaking during the summer break, Stella offered an encouraging assessment of both drivers and outlined what he expects from McLaren in the second half of the championship.
Stella on Norris and Piastri’s response to the 2026 F1 regulations
The new regulations have presented every driver on the grid with a significant challenge. Stella noted that the key has been learning how to extract the full potential from the new power units. Reliability issues early in the season have complicated that process.
“I am very pleased with how our driver line-up is performing in this early part of the 2026 season. For Oscar and Lando – as indeed for their twenty colleagues on the F1 grid – the impact of the new regulations has been nothing short of disruptive. The new generation of single-seaters requires not only an adaptation of driving style but, above all, much greater focus on understanding how to exploit the full potential offered by the new power units,” Stella stated.
Despite the challenges, both drivers have shown the resilience that has defined McLaren’s 2026 F1 season so far.
“The learning process has at times proved complicated and was slowed down, particularly in the early stages, by various reliability issues. Both have responded in the right way, working with great commitment alongside the team, day in, day out. There is still room for improvement, particularly regarding the power unit, and we are working very well with our partners at HPP, including on the interaction between the driver and the power unit.“
Stella on Norris and Piastri’s relationship in 2026
Beyond the technical challenges, Stella was candid about the relationship between the two drivers. Norris and Piastri battled for the championship in 2025, with Norris ultimately claiming the title. There was no guarantee the working relationship would remain as strong. Stella said it has only grown closer in the 2026 F1 season.
“Another aspect I’m really enjoying about our drivers is the way they’re working together. It wasn’t a given that, after last year – when they found themselves battling for the world title right up to the final race – the harmony they’d built would remain intact.
“Yet not only has this not changed, but the relationship between them and with the team has actually become even stronger. And whilst this might, in a sense, have been expected of Lando – given that he was ultimately the one to become champion – it was not quite so predictable for Oscar, who, instead, has relied even more heavily on the team to accelerate his development, both on and off the track.”
Stella on Fornaroli’s growing role in McLaren’s 2026 F1 season
Leonardo Fornaroli has taken on an increasingly prominent role within McLaren’s 2026 F1 programme. He took part in Free Practice sessions in Barcelona and Budapest as part of his Reserve and Development Driver duties. Stella was full of praise for the approach the young Italian has shown.
“Leo is showing great maturity in his approach to F1. So far, he’s always been very meticulous and attentive in the run-up to each test, never overdoing it but instead working step by step with great diligence. Our engineers are very pleased with how he is progressing at every test and how he performed in the two Free Practice sessions he took part in, first in Barcelona and then in Budapest.
“I believe his journey through our Driver Development Programme is going exactly as it should, and we hope it will soon offer him further opportunities for growth,” Stella concluded.
For Stella, the picture at McLaren heading into the second half of the 2026 F1 season is an encouraging one. Norris and Piastri are developing their understanding of the new regulations. Fornaroli is progressing through the system. The team’s internal relationships appear stronger than ever.
