McLaren Revive 2007: Qatar Blunder Leaves Piastri and Norris in Trouble

McLaren Wastes Opportunity in Qatar: Verstappen Closes in on Title

DOHA, Qatar – Disappointment reigned in the McLaren team after the Qatar Grand Prix. Oscar Piastri, visibly affected, summed up the general feeling in a few words: “No words.” The team’s strategy, which did not take advantage of an early safety car, cost Piastri a crucial victory and opened the way for Max Verstappen to get closer to the championship. In the early laps of the race, McLaren, with ups and downs in its performance, suffered a triple setback. The decision not to pit under the safety car on lap 7 allowed Verstappen to secure the victory and continue his path towards a possible fifth world title. This strategic move hurt the aspirations of Piastri, who was seeking a well-deserved victory, and also affected Lando Norris, who saw his opportunity to compete for the championship frustrated. This strategic error, which could be one of the worst in Formula 1 history, means that the championship will be decided in Abu Dhabi for the first time since the controversial end of 2021. Although Norris still has control of his destiny, Verstappen’s talent is undeniable. Formula 1 fans recognize the Dutch driver’s ability to achieve an epic comeback, regardless of the circumstances.

“Obviously, it wasn’t our best day,” commented Norris, who, after the race, just wanted to rest.

Lando Norris

The situation is complicated when considering that this was the team’s second error in a week, preceded by the disqualification of both cars in the Las Vegas Grand Prix due to a minor technical infringement. This pattern of errors is reminiscent of the 2007 season, when the fight between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton allowed Kimi Räikkönen to win the championship for Ferrari. Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren, has expressed his preference for seeing Verstappen win the title rather than alter the policy of allowing Norris and Piastri to compete freely. This stance has generated controversy and has led to questions about fairness within the team. Another relevant aspect was the feeling that McLaren’s decisions harmed Piastri, who lost valuable points compared to Norris. Examples of this include the time Piastri conceded positions in Monza and the strategy that favored Norris in the Hungarian Grand Prix, as well as Norris’s maneuver on the first lap of the Singapore Grand Prix. Although Piastri is not mathematically out of the running, the error in Qatar has reduced his chances. The Australian driver had shown great performance during the weekend, achieving pole position and victory in the sprint race, as well as pole for the main race. The second position obtained allowed him to score points, but not the decisive amount that he would have achieved with the victory. Piastri arrives in Abu Dhabi with a 16-point disadvantage, raising the question of whether he will be asked to support his teammate to ensure that McLaren does not repeat as constructors’ champion without winning the drivers’ title. Although the team could succeed at Yas Marina, recent performance suggests that McLaren could suffer an unexpected setback.

Anatomy of a Strategic Error

Like the technical infringement in Las Vegas, McLaren’s latest error stemmed from the technical details of Formula 1. The Qatar race was governed by a new rule that required pit stops every 25 laps, due to concerns about the performance of Pirelli tires.

The safety car moment was ideal, as it occurred after an incident between Pierre Gasly and Nico Hülkenberg on lap 7, the key point for the teams’ strategies. Entering the pits at that moment would have guaranteed two stints of 25 laps for the McLaren drivers, which would have secured them a double podium, if not a 1-2. Piastri was leading the race, while Verstappen had overtaken Norris to take second position. When the safety car entered the track, Verstappen chose to enter the pits, followed by Norris.

“When they called me, I had to remember that we were on lap seven,” said Verstappen. “So I thought: ‘OK, now we can go to the end [with one more stop].’ I was a bit surprised when I came out of the pit. I thought: ‘OK, I think this is a very good opportunity to win the race.'” The decision not to pit didn’t make sense at that moment, and even less as the laps went on. It was such an obvious call that all the other teams made it. With the McLaren cars in first and third position, and their garage at the end of the pit lane, a clear scenario presented itself: the double stack, the strategy of having the mechanics complete two consecutive stops. This would have given McLaren a guaranteed double podium. Norris asked his race engineer, Will Joseph, the logic behind the decision before the race resumed, possibly sensing the team’s mistake. Joseph replied that it would give them strategic flexibility later in the race. At other circuits, this might have made sense, but the sprint race had already shown that overtaking was almost impossible at the Qatar circuit. By not pitting, McLaren ensured that both drivers had to move up positions to advance, as they were not synchronized with the strategy of the other teams. Norris, in the end, couldn’t move forward and placed fifth. A mistake by Kimi Antonelli allowed Norris to advance, but he didn’t have time to catch Carlos Sainz, whose podium was overshadowed by the strategy of his former team. Stella explained that the team will analyze the reasons for the error, including whether there was any bias in the way the decision was made. She also mentioned that the process will be reviewed constructively and analytically. The situation raises questions about the possibility of team orders in Abu Dhabi. Stella indicated that McLaren’s fundamental principles, such as fairness and integrity in racing, will be respected. A conversation between Norris and Piastri is expected before the race to define the strategy, but it was emphasized that both drivers will have the opportunity to compete for victory.

Verstappen: The “Chucky” of F1

Max Verstappen has shown a dominant performance in the last races. Verstappen has achieved an impressive performance with the team’s car since the update at the Italian Grand Prix. While he may not win the championship, his 2024 season will be remembered as one in which he demonstrated his worth, similar to Alonso’s 2012 season with Ferrari.

Verstappen seems to be enjoying the moment. He joked about McLaren’s situation after the race, and when asked about Brown’s comments, he responded with a reference to the character “Chucky” from the movie “Child’s Play”. The comparison to a ruthless character could be accurate, considering Verstappen’s performance. A highlight of Verstappen’s season is the incident at the Spanish Grand Prix, where he collided with George Russell. Verstappen has acknowledged his mistake, but has also pointed out that, if he doesn’t win the championship, that won’t be the decisive moment for losing it. Meanwhile, McLaren seems to be making mistakes week after week. If that trend continues in Abu Dhabi, McLaren’s year could be remembered as a bigger failure than 18 years ago.