How McLaren Ruined Their Weekend In Qatar

Where Did It All Go Wrong?

The Start of Sunday’s Grand Prix wasn’t perfect for the McLarens, but it still allowed both of them to stay within the top three and secured Piastri in the lead of the race. The problem came on lap seven, when a safety car was called onto the track after an accident involving Nico Hulkenberg and Pierre Gasly. While most teams jumped at the opportunity to perform one of the two mandatory stops, McLaren decided to keep their driver out.

The decision quickly proved to be a mistake, as Piastri and Norris were unable to build enough of a gap to justify it. After driving in for a stop of their own, they fell outside of the top three and had to spend the next laps chasing the cars ahead. The situation was repeated after the leaders’ second stops. Despite their best efforts, the McLaren drivers were unable to regain their previous positions.

The Grand Prix ended with Verstappen standing on top of the podium. Piastri finished right behind him, and Norris ended up fourth, just outside of the podium. Not only did the Brit not secure the championship, but he also severely decreased his lead over both Verstappen and Piastri. The heated fight will come to an end in Abu Dhabi.

Bad Strategy And The Problem Of ‘Fairness’

Both Norris and Piastri have their reasons to be disappointed with the weekend. The latter even specifically expressed that the Sunday in Qatar was one of the best drives in his career, and yet he lost the win through no fault of his own. After the race, Andrea Stella, McLaren’s principal, admitted that the decision not to pit was a conscious one, not an accident that many people suspected it to be. Zak Brown, the team’s CEO, has also spoken out on the issue:

“Oscar was absolutely impeccable all weekend, so we let them down. You win and lose as a team, but definitely not a great moment. Our evaluation if a Safety Car came out on that lap was clearly incorrect.”

Of course, their evaluations and admittances mean little to the drivers who had lost out on big points. The unfavourable strategy led to a situation in which it is no longer all but certain that the Drivers’ Championship will be won by a McLaren driver.

This isn’t the first time that McLaren has jeopardized their performance with questionable strategy choices. Their refusal to choose a number one driver has already put them in a very vulnerable position before. Many people are wondering if that was also the reason for their strange decision in Qatar. Could it be that, in the spirit of fairness and not putting anyone at a disadvantage with a double pit, the team decided to go for the worse but more “just” strategy? This theory is particularly popular among Piastri fans, given that he was the one who would have probably won the Grand Prix, were it not for McLaren’s screwup.

End Of My McLaren Rant

Whatever the reason was behind their decision, it might end up having great ramifications for the championship. Norris is still the one most likely to win it, but the fight is not over until the checkered flag waves. Will Qatar end up being the mistake that costs McLaren the WDC?