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Stella saw sixth as Piastri’s limit at Sepang

GPBeat reports that Andrea Stella did not think Oscar Piastri could have finished above sixth at Sepang, even if McLaren had made every decision correctly. Stella rated the car package fourth in performance.

GPBeat · Newsroom04 Oct 2026, 21:52 · 1 min

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said he did not think Oscar Piastri could have finished higher than sixth in Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia at Sepang, even if every team decision had been right. Setting aside choices such as the start tyres and pit-stop timing, Stella assessed McLaren’s car package as fourth in performance over the weekend.

At Sepang, Piastri finished sixth, 9.454 seconds behind winner Max Verstappen, while Lando Norris finished ninth, 13.993 seconds behind the winner.

Before the second restart, Norris took avoiding action as the pack slowed ahead, ran into the gravel and fell to 11th; he recovered to ninth. Stella said McLaren could have scored a few more points with Norris but for the excursion, but that it would not have changed his assessment of the team’s overall performance.

Stella said some of McLaren’s direct rivals had taken a significant step forward, naming Red Bull. He said McLaren needed to review the results of its last two races carefully and respond to rival progress to return to the fight for podiums.

Sources 03

PRIMARY SOURCE2026 BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX IN MALAYSIA – RACE REPORTMalaise in Malaysia: McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team leave the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia with work to doMcLaren F1 · Team statement; interested source
PRIMARY SOURCEDoc 60 - Final Race ClassificationFIA F1 decision documents
SOURCEF1 Bahrain GP in Malaysia: Verstappen wins chaotic race from Antonelli as Russell retires late onAutosport

Claims and supporting evidence 5

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella assessed the car package fourth in performance and said he did not think Piastri could have finished above sixth even if every decision had been right.

McLaren’s post-race report attributes both assessments to Stella.

[1]

Piastri finished sixth, 9.454 seconds behind Verstappen, while Norris finished ninth, 13.993 seconds behind the winner.

The FIA final classification lists the positions and gaps for both McLaren drivers.

[2]

Before the second restart, Norris took avoiding action as cars ahead slowed, went into the gravel and dropped to 11th; he recovered to ninth.

McLaren’s report describes the avoiding action, gravel excursion and recovery; Autosport also reports the slowing cars and drop to 11th.

[1][3]

Stella said McLaren could have scored a few more points with Norris but for the second-restart excursion, while adding that it would not change his assessment of overall performance.

Stella made both the conditional points assessment and its qualification in McLaren’s race report.

[1]

Stella said direct rivals including Red Bull had made significant progress and that McLaren needed to review its last two races and respond to pursue a return to podium contention.

These are Stella’s post-race remarks about rival progress and McLaren’s aims.

[1]

This article was produced with AI assistance. Source references make its supporting evidence traceable.