McLaren Boss Outlines Firm ‘Boundaries’ for Oscar Piastri vs Lando Norris title fight

McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella asserts clear boundaries that Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri must adhere to amid their 2025 title fight.

McLaren Boss Outlines Firm ‘Boundaries’ for Oscar Piastri vs Lando Norris title fight

Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris (via Getty)

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The intra-team battle at McLaren between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris has been cooking since the beginning of the 2025 season. Both drivers have emerged as the better duo on the grid and are leading the driver standings. Piastri leads the battle with a nine-point advantage over Norris as he vies for his maiden championship win this year. Now, McLaren boss Andrea Stella draws up clear boundaries that the Papaya squad must adhere to, no matter the title fight between the two.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri also had a close battle for the P2 spot in the driver’s standings in the 2024 season. However, McLaren interfered between the two by ‘Papaya rules’ and caused Piastri to lose his running against his British counterpart. However, the Aussie was prepared to race his teammate hard this season and not let team orders get in the way of his championship ambitions.

Even though Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are fighting hard on the track, the two will still have to keep some things in mind. Andrea Stella asserted that McLaren was aware of the value of Formula 1 and racing action for the fans and drivers. Stella pointed out that the squad wanted both Piastri and Norris to utilize their full potential and pursue their aspirations in Formula 1.

We are McLaren Racing, we [know] the value of racing to Formula 1, and we want to give great racing to Formula 1. We want to give our two drivers the possibility to utilise and express their talent, pursue their aspirations and their personal success.

Andrea Stella said, as reported by RacingNews365.com

Still, Andrea Stella asserted that the battle on track between the two Papaya drivers needed to happen within boundaries. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris should battle hard, but keep the team’s interest, sportsmanship, and respect for one another alive at all times. Stella reckoned that this was his priority whenever he saw deviating strategies on track with multiple options available for both drivers.

This needs to happen within our boundaries of the team interest, fairness, sportsmanship and respect for one another. For me, this is what I see when we have a deviating strategy, when we have different options, and this is part of racing.

Andrea Stella added

Andrea Stella ‘grateful’ for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri

Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have kept their on-track battles clean, apart from the duo crashing at the Canadian GP, ending Norris’ race in the final stages. Both drivers are maximizing points for the team and aren’t making crucial mistakes that could cost them their running. As such, Andrea Stella expresses his gratitude for the Briton and Piastri.

Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris and Andrea Stella (via F1)
Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris and Andrea Stella (via F1)

Andrea Stella pointed out that McLaren did not want to surprise any drivers with team orders or unnecessary commands. Stella reckoned that so far, none of the drivers were surprised in this front and were maximizing their potential. The Italian insisted that he was grateful for both drivers, as they performed in the team’s best interest. The 54-year-old declared that it would be the same until the end of the season with no unexpected changes to their ideology.

We want to make sure that no driver is surprised, and no driver has been surprised so far, and I can only be grateful for the way Lando and Oscar have interpreted the way we go racing as a team, as a group.  This is going to be the same until the end of the season.

Andrea Stella noted

McLaren has emerged as the most dominant force on the grid in the 2025 season and is untouched in terms of performance. The team has already established a 299-point deficit to the runner-up team in Ferrari. As such, the constructor’s title is seemingly won by Woking. But the driver’s title fight is far from over as Norris and Piastri will give it their all in the final ten races.

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