McLaren point to Oscar Piastri 'opportunity' after early pain

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has commended Oscar Piastri for his response to the troubling start to the new season this year.

Piastri failed to start the opening two rounds of the year after crashing en route to the grid in Australia before suffering a pre-race mechanical concern in China.

It marked a highly difficult return to F1 for the 24-year-old just months on from his title defeat to team-mate Lando Norris.

Stella has stated that the unwelcome start to the campaign gave Piastri an opportunity to put his resilience to the test.

“The start of the season has given Oscar the opportunity to test where he was with his maturity, with his strength, with his ability to absorb adversity,” Stella told media including RacingNews365.

“I have to say that the team is so impressed by the strength that this driver is exhibiting.

“I have to say passing on to the team, because when you see a driver responding like that to a second race in which he was not in condition to be part of it, then this becomes extremely motivational for all the team. 

“So really credit to Oscar, credit to his own personal development.

“[It] is not only the development of a driver getting faster and faster, but also of a person getting more and more mature and strong from a mental point of view.”

Piastri returned to form last time out in Japan as he bagged McLaren's first podium of the year with a run to second place.