Piastri’s rapid learning key to “exceptional” rookie year

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella was deeply impressed by Oscar Piastri’s development as a driver through his rookie Formula 1 season.

Piastri scored 97 points in his maiden campaign, the second highest for a rookie with McLaren after Lewis Hamilton’s history-making haul of 109 in 2007. He reached the podium twice in grands prix, and in sprint races he qualified and finished second at Spa-Francorchamps then took pole and won at Losail.

In regular qualifying Piastri reached Q3 on his second attempt, and did so 14 more times over the 22 rounds. His team mate Lando Norris managed the feat just one time more than him, but used his top-10 starting positions better as he scored more than twice as many points.

After the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, in which Piastri outpaced Norris to qualify third but finished one place behind him in sixth, Stella raved

“I can confirm that definitely our perception, our analysis is that Oscar’s season has just been exceptional. And when I say exceptional, like beyond our expectation,” he said.

“At this weekend he started [FP1], learning things, and then he was there in P3 in qualifying. In the race he kind of needed to learn a couple of things at the start. Like I think he was a little naive when Lando overtook him. And then even in the second stint, managing the tyres he left, I think, some performance behind. Then you go on to the third stint, so you have another opportunity of a stint on hard tyres, and he has a very strong stint.

“So it’s the rapidity at which he learns that I think makes him exceptional. I think this has been true in whatever scale you take. Within the time of a race, within the timeframe of an event, within the timeframe of the season, just his gradient is so impressive.”

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Stella admitted the quality of Piastri’s season “obviously creates expectation for next season, and expectations require work to be confirmed.”

Another of Piastri’s strengths “is that he’s such a grounded person,” said Stella. “He’s so focused, he’s so committed, and if anything, working with him will be more about what do we need to do to confirm this gradient. Work that effectively has already started in terms of planning ahead onto the winter.”

While the team endured a disappointing start to the season, Piastri’s level-headedness has also been a valuable strength, said Stella. He believes that “may be one of the key enablers” of his rapid rate of…