Oscar Piastri led home a McLaren one-two in Spain but left his squad with homework to do, according to team principal Andrea Stella.

Piastri heads the Drivers’ Championship by 10 points over team-mate Lando Norris at the end of the European triple-header, the Australian with five wins to his name from nine races in 2025.

Oscar Piastri comments highlighted unexpected McLaren scenario

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

McLaren locked out the front row of the grid for Sunday’s race in Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with Piastri taking top spot for the fourth time in his career.

He did so with the biggest pole margin of the year, Norris just over two-tenths adrift in second place.

A strong opening to his final qualifying lap, coupled with a strong run through Turn 7, were key to Piastri’s effort which came after an unexpected encounter earlier in the session.

As the Melburnian completed his initial run in Qualifying 3, Norris pulled into his slipstream as he rounded the final two corners, looking for a slipstream for the start of his own lap.

It was a moment that had not been rehearsed or planned, and one Piastri described over the radio as “cheeky.”

For Stella, whose focus is on ensuring ongoing harmony within the team as its drivers begin duking it out for the World title, it raised an important point.

“It was a minor situation,” Stella told media, including PlanetF1.com, following Sunday’s race.

“We always tell our drivers, like, don’t leave anything in the back of your mind. Anything, throw it out, say what you think.

“In this case, I think Oscar’s comment was to highlight a situation that we didn’t discuss before.

“In itself, it’s not anything too controversial, but we did not discuss it before and we don’t want to surprise our drivers with situations that we didn’t discuss before.

“So a little bit to take on for the team rather than for the drivers; we have some homework and be ready even more for the coming races, which surely will be interesting.”

Driver equality at McLaren

👉 McLaren boss Zak Brown underscores driver equality in title charge

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McLaren has been working hard to ensure equality of opportunity for its drivers.

While both are battling for the Championship, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown revealed that he will not ask either Piastri or Norris to work for the other.

“Our drivers aren’t asking for favouritism, they’re asking for fairness, and that’s what they get,” Brown told PlanetF1.com.

“I think they’re very comfortable; may the best man win.”

It’s an approach he concedes could lead to a situation where neither McLaren driver is champion, though that has become a slightly more remote possibility in the wake of the Spanish GP.

Third-placed Max Verstappen now trails Piastri in the title fight by 49-points – almost two full grands prix.

“That’s how they want to race, and that’s how we want to race,” Brown told PlanetF1.com of giving his drivers equality.

“We recognise that that could lead to 2007 again. But come back to when you have two Number 1 drivers; how do you treat a Number 1 driver as a Number 2?

“You can’t. We won’t. So we’re comfortable that 2007 is a potential outcome.”

With neither driver poised to receive preferential treatment, communication and managing expectations between Piastri and Norris is key.

Topics such as that seen during qualifying in Spain are raised and discussed in regular meetings, alongside more predictable moments, such as the long drag to Turn 1 from the start in Barcelona.

“The briefing is not getting tough,” Stella said of those frequent discussions.

“The conversations are the same that we always have. Obviously when the two drivers start one next to the other, and there is 800 metres to Corner 1, you might have to reiterate every detail of the way we go racing together.

“But so far, I just can only be very grateful to Lando and Oscar who have approached this internal competition with a great sense of responsibility and pretty much sticking to the letter to what are our racing principles and approach.”

Piastri maintained his advantage off the line at the start of the Spanish GP, leading into the first corner from Verstappen with Norris third.

The Briton then reclaimed second place on Lap 14 in a race McLaren had under control throughout, despite Red Bull’s efforts to cause an upset with an aggressive three-stop race.

Following victory, Piastri dedicated the win to his sister, Edie, with whom he celebrated in parc ferme.

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