McLaren’s announcement at Suzuka that it had extended Oscar Piastri’s contract to the end of 2026 was no great surprise given the 22-yearold’s enormously promising rookie season. He has been a much closer match to the team’s established star Lando Norris than Daniel Ricciardo had managed in the previous two years. On occasion, such as at Spa, he has even out-performed him. But it’s the manner in which he has conducted himself which has convinced McLaren, specifically its team principal Andrea Stella, about his ultimate potential.