Following a disastrous start to the season, McLaren left Suzuka with renewed confidence after a weekend that showcased both the team’s progress and its remaining limitations.
With Oscar Piastri finishing second after leading the early laps and Lando Norris charging to fifth despite a disrupted build‑up, Team Principal Andrea Stella described the Japanese Grand Prix as a meaningful step forward — but one that also sharpened the team’s development priorities.
Reflecting on the weekend as a whole, Stella was upbeat about McLaren’s competitiveness. “This was a good weekend that allows us to leave Suzuka encouraged,” he said. “The speed we showed in Qualifying was confirmed in the race, and we were genuinely able to fight with Ferrari and, at times, Mercedes.”
Piastri’s performance was a particular highlight. After a superb launch that carried him into the lead, the Australian controlled the early phase of the race and demonstrated pace strong enough to keep George Russell at bay. Stella praised both the execution and the maturity on display. “Oscar delivered a superb drive after a great start with strong pace, fully deserving of his podium,” he said.
“Despite missing the first two Grands Prix starts, he is showing the strongest version of himself since he started to compete in Formula 1 – calm, resilient and inspirational for the whole team.”
Norris, meanwhile, overcame a heavily compromised weekend to deliver important points. “Lando brought home important points despite heavily disrupted Practice sessions that meant he barely strung two consecutive laps together before the race,” Stella noted.
He also highlighted the team’s operational sharpness: “Our race execution, the starts, the strategy, and how we exploited the power unit, was strong.”
But despite the encouraging signs, Stella was clear‑eyed about the work still ahead. “While we are encouraged by this result, our objective remains clear: we must improve the fundamental performance of our chassis,” he said.
Suzuka’s layout and the team’s improved power unit deployment played to McLaren’s strengths, but Stella stressed that the underlying picture remains more complex. “The characteristics of this circuit and the strong performance from our power unit played to our advantage, but we know our rivals still have an edge in cornering grip.”
Closing that gap is now the team’s priority. “We are aware we need a few tenths from the chassis to be able to contend for victories consistently,” Stella explained.
And he made it clear that responsibility lies squarely with the team’s development effort. “It is now our responsibility to provide both Oscar and Lando with a car that can consistently challenge for wins, and we are focused on bringing the necessary upgrades in the upcoming races to achieve that.”
