Norris and Piastri surprise McLaren: 'That's quite remarkable'

Stella thinks Norris is increasingly taking the lead within the team. "Not a leading position as the leading driver, but just drivers that kind of try to pull the team, just not only being in the receiving end of it." The team boss also thinks the arrival of Piastri will eventually make Norris a better driver. "By having a driver as quick as Oscar, you are definitely in a condition to exploit the potential of the car better."

Norris and Piastri working together

The two can analyse each other's data and make strides that way. "Because in some corners, even in free practice one, Oscar is immediately competitive. So Lando can see, okay, we can do this in this corner and so on. And likewise, obviously, for Oscar with Lando." But most of all, Stella can enjoy the feedback given by both drivers. A special sensation. "It is remarkable this year how similar the comments are between the two drivers. And this is not only in the offline briefings, but it's also when the drivers come back after their own first run or a run during the session, they actually kind of use the same terminology."

The McLaren team boss suspects the drivers are talking among themselves about on-track performance. "It looks like they are in communication before reporting their feedback. This is obviously very important for engineers because it means that what's coming from the driver is very consistent, is very clear. It gives you a clear direction for setup and for development."