Analysis of McLaren’s Strategy in the Qatar Grand Prix
McLaren team boss Andrea Stella has revealed the details behind the strategy that affected his team’s performance in the Qatar Grand Prix, promising a thorough analysis to avoid similar mistakes in the future. The decision not to bring Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris into the pits during the safety car period in Qatar had significant consequences, preventing Piastri from a possible victory and allowing Max Verstappen to secure first place. This strategic error could have wide implications for McLaren, as Verstappen overtook Piastri in the drivers’ standings, and Norris is only 12 points behind the championship leader, with one race remaining. Stella explained that McLaren’s decision not to pit on lap 7 was based on the concern that Piastri and Norris could be hampered by traffic if other teams chose to stay on the track. However, all the other cars pitted during the safety car, which meant McLaren was leading when the race restarted, but with one less pit stop than their rivals, including Verstappen.
Faced with the question of why McLaren misread the race, Stella indicated that the team will review its decision to learn from it. Factors such as possible biases in the way the team assessed the situation will be analyzed.Indeed, we granted a pit stop to a rival who was fast today.
Andrea Stella
Stella emphasized the importance of a constructive and analytical analysis, recognizing that races can be tough and teach valuable lessons. The team is disappointed, but commits to learn and adapt to become stronger. A theory about why McLaren didn’t pit on lap 7 was that Norris, who was in third place at the time, would lose time in the stop due to having to wait for Piastri. Stella explained that this consideration existed, but it was not the main reason for not stopping both cars. The main concern was traffic, although the interpretation of the situation was wrong. McLaren boss Zak Brown summarized his thoughts in a social media post after the race, taking responsibility for the mistake and acknowledging the unrealized potential of his drivers.Brown stated that the team made a mistake and that both drivers deserved more, highlighting Piastri’s dominance throughout the weekend. The team is focused on analyzing, readjusting, and returning stronger in Abu Dhabi.I think in terms of the error of judgment it’s something we’ll have to review, discussing internally.
Andrea Stella
