Stella claims that Piastri's difficulties are 'not psychological.'

      "He needs to adjust his driving style."

      Andrea Stella has refuted any claims that Oscar Piastri's increasing struggles compared to Lando Norris are rooted in psychological issues, emphasizing that the challenges are technical and related to low-grip conditions. Piastri secured P6 at Zandvoort, finishing 32 seconds behind his victorious McLaren teammate after experiencing significant difficulties with the hard tyre.

      "Last year, we already observed that from a technical driving perspective, when the car has this low level of grip, like we experienced last year, for example, in Mexico or Austin, he needs to modify his driving approach, his thought process, and his expectations," said Stella. "This necessitates a bit of mental effort, which can cause him to lose a few tenths of a second."

      However, the McLaren team principal was clear about his viewpoint. "I don’t believe it has anything to do with any psychological issues. This is strictly technical," the Italian stated.

      Stella also mentioned that Piastri's race was negatively impacted by McLaren's performance. "When we pitted to cover Russell, we actually lost our position to him due to a slow pitstop. This is the team's responsibility, not Oscar's."

      In contrast, Stella noted that Norris performed particularly well in low-grip conditions but believes Piastri is still making progress. "I am pleased with the improvements I’ve observed throughout the weekend," he remarked. "And I’m confident there will be even more developments for the remainder of the season."