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Andrea Stella’s pre-race message to Oscar Piastri confirms he’s now unofficially McLaren’s number two

Oscar Piastri outqualified McLaren teammate Lando Norris at the United States Grand Prix but ended up finishing 22 seconds behind. Piastri led McLaren’s fourth-row lockout…

By David Comerford · F1 Oversteer

Published: Tuesday, 27 October 2026 at 7:00 AM

Key Things to Know

David Comerford argues Andrea Stella's pre-race briefing unofficially establishes Oscar Piastri as McLaren's number two driver.
Piastri let teammate Lando Norris pass in the early laps of the United States Grand Prix.
Stella stated the team agreed pre-race to let Norris through if Piastri could not keep up ahead.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Writer David Comerford argues that Andrea Stella's pre-race instructions to Oscar Piastri at the United States Grand Prix signal that Piastri has unofficially become McLaren's number two driver. Although Piastri outqualified teammate Lando Norris on the fourth row, he was told to let Norris pass during the opening laps, eventually finishing 22 seconds behind him.

Team principal Andrea Stella confirmed the strategy was discussed beforehand because Norris exhibited superior pace across the weekend. Comerford contends that while the move helped McLaren in their constructors' championship battle with Red Bull, planning such concessions before the race undermines driver confidence.

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