McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has praised the professionalism and strong relationship between Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri after their intense battle for last season’s drivers’ title.

Norris eventually secured his maiden world championship after overcoming Piastri and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in a closely fought three-way contest. The Australian had led the standings by 34 points with nine races remaining, but Norris produced a strong finish to the campaign to claim the title.

The championship fight put McLaren’s commitment to giving both drivers equal opportunities under significant pressure on several occasions. Despite the competitive nature of their rivalry, however, Norris and Piastri maintained a positive relationship throughout.

McLaren have struggled to match the pace of their rivals under the new regulations introduced for the 2026 season, with Mercedes currently leading Ferrari. Nevertheless, Stella has been impressed by the way both drivers have handled themselves.

“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,” team principal Stella said in a McLaren Q&A.

“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.”

Mercedes teenager Kimi Antonelli currently leads the 2026 drivers’ championship, holding a 50-point advantage over Ferrari’s seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. Norris sits fifth in the standings, 91 points behind the championship leader.

However, the McLaren driver has shown signs of a potential resurgence, claiming his first victory of the 2026 season in Hungary shortly before the current summer break.

Stella remains confident that McLaren can close the gap during the second half of the campaign and challenge for more strong results.

“If we can continue the season as we did in Budapest, I think we can still achieve a great deal,” Stella said.

“To do so, we must keep pushing with the development and ensure we outpace our rivals – who certainly aren’t standing still.”

With 12 races still remaining on the calendar and 546 championship points available, Stella believes McLaren still has plenty of opportunities to make significant progress.

“There are still 12 races left on the calendar, so there are plenty of opportunities given that 546 points are up for grabs,” he added.