Oscar Piastri’s Remarkable Tyre Management Skills Shine in 2025 F1 Season
Australian racing sensation, Oscar Piastri, has been turning heads this season with his impressive tyre management skills. McLaren team principal, Andrea Stella, attributes this development to Piastri’s dedicated work with the team’s engineers.
Addressing Previous Criticisms and Improving Performance
One of the criticisms leveled at Piastri in his early Formula 1 seasons was his apparent impact on the durability of the Pirelli tyres, which would negatively affect performance over a race stint. However, Piastri has significantly improved this aspect of his driving over 2025. In many instances, he has matched Norris’ pace during a stint and even surpassed his more experienced teammate’s lap times.
Stella credits Piastri’s progress to his growing mastery of tyre management during races. While it might seem that the lighter touch applied by this year’s McLaren on the tyres has aided Piastri, Stella believes there is more to the story.
The Mechanics Behind Piastri’s Tyre Management Mastery
According to Stella, the improvements in Piastri’s tyre management skills are not merely a result of the car or the lighter touch on the tyres. Instead, he explains that it is the result of hard work and understanding by both Piastri and the team engineers about how to minimize tyre damage.
Stella emphasizes that improving tyre management is not a one-size-fits-all process. There are many ways in which drivers need to adapt their techniques depending on various factors such as graining, overheating at the front or rear of the car, etc.
Norris’ Improvements and Future Races
Stella also acknowledges Lando Norris’ improvements in this area, noting that Norris had a slight edge in performance during their hard-tyre stints at the Miami Grand Prix. Despite losing time due to two situations with Verstappen, Norris showed signs of improvement towards the end of the race.
Stella is optimistic about future races, believing that we will witness an interesting competition between Piastri and Norris in the coming races.
