ANDREA STELLA is pleased McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have remained a harmonious pairing in the wake of last season’s title scrap and has not yet given up hope of the British driver being able to defend his crown.

Norris ultimately triumphed over his team-mate in a season-long battle – which also involved Red Bull’s Max Verstappen – to clinch a maiden world title, after Piastri had held a 34-point lead with nine races remaining.

There were a number of flashpoints and moments of contention in the title run-in, with McLaren’s “papaya rules” put to the test in a bid to ensure a level playing field between their title protagonists.

McLaren have not been able to match their form of recent seasons under the sport’s new regulations for 2026, as Mercedes have led the way from Ferrari.

But McLaren boss Stella has heaped praise on the performance of his drivers and is particularly happy to see peace remains, which he admits was not certain on Piastri’s side of the garage.

“It wasn’t a given that, after last year – when they found themselves battling for the world title right up to the final race – the harmony they’d built would remain intact: yet not only has this not changed, but the relationship between them and with the team has actually become even stronger,” team principal Stella said in a McLaren Q&A.

Norris sits fifth, a hefty 91 points off the lead, but he did pick up a first win of the season in Hungary before the current summer break as McLaren showed signs of progress.