McLaren has explained its strategy error in Formula 1’s Qatar Grand Prix that opened the door for Max Verstappen to grab a win that takes the three-way title fight all the way to the final round in Abu Dhabi.
Oscar Piastri was leading the Qatar Grand Prix from Verstappen and team-mate Lando Norris on lap seven when the safety car was called out to retrieve Nico Hulkenberg’s stricken Sauber.
With a 25-lap limit in place for each set of tyres over the 57-lap race, lap seven was the first time when the window opened for drivers to stop and make it to the end with just one more stop.
The majority of the grid dived for the pits to get their first tyre change out of the way, with the McLaren duo and Haas's Esteban Ocon electing to stay out - although Ocon then stopped on the following lap.
The call by McLaren proved critical to the outcome, as it opened the door for Verstappen to take the win. It also relegated Piastri to the runner-up spot on a weekend when he had been so dominant.
Afterwards, Piastri described what happened as “pretty painful” and even suggested that it “probably hurts more” than the disqualification McLaren faced in Las Vegas last weekend.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella admitted that his pitwall had got it wrong, as it said it stayed out because it did not expect everyone else to go for the tyre change.
Asked by Sky Sports F1's Martin Brundle if it was a conscious decision not to stop or an error, Stella said: “It was a decision. It was a decision not to pit.
“In fairness, we didn't expect everyone else to pit. Obviously, when everyone else behind you pits, then it makes pitting definitely the right thing to do.
“When you are the lead car, you don't know exactly what the others are going to do. There could have been a loss for Lando in pitting, in case we were pitting both cars with the double stack, but effectively, the main reason was related to not expecting everyone else to pit.
“So it was a decision. But as a matter of fact, it wasn't the correct decision.”
Stella said that one of the other factors that contributed to its decision was that it was not expecting the drivers locked in to two 25 laps stints having the pace they did.
“It worked very well for everyone stopping at lap seven,” he said. “So ultimately, that's what it is.
“We thought that the pace in the car also could have allowed, anyhow, to open enough of a gap. But again, there wasn't much tyre of degradation, and therefore we couldn't exploit entirely the pace of the car. So not the desired outcome.”
Verstappen’s win means he now heads into the season finale in Abu Dhabi 12 points behind Norris, who finished fourth, with Piastri a further four points adrift.
And while McLaren now faces a big danger from Verstappen in losing the crown, Stella said that the squad would not consider imposing team orders to protect Norris.
“We just want to always keep the options open for both drivers,” he said. “They both are in condition to win the championship.
“There's been often in the history of F1 a situation in which it was the third in the classification to actually win the championship. I remember 2007 with Kimi; I think it was the same in 2010 [with Sebastian Vettel].
“We have to respect the fact that Oscar, he has his chances to win, and therefore we are going to let them race.”
