McLaren admits mistake: strategy costs Piastri victory

What happened in Qatar

Oscar Piastri led the Qatar Grand Prix from the start. Max Verstappen and teammate Lando Norris followed closely behind. On lap seven, the safety car came out due to Nico Hülkenberg's Sauber coming to a standstill. That was also the first moment when teams with the 25-lap rule could still manage one pit stop until the end.

Most drivers pitted immediately. However, McLaren left Piastri and Norris out on the track. Only Esteban Ocon of Haas stayed out briefly and pitted on the next lap. McLaren's decision proved decisive. It allowed Verstappen to take the lead and ultimately win. Piastri dropped back to second place, despite a dominant weekend.

Why McLaren made that decision

Team boss Andrea Stella later admitted that the pit wall made the wrong decision. McLaren deliberately chose not to pit. The team did not expect almost everyone to come in at the same time.

An important consideration was the risk of a double pit stop. McLaren did not want Norris to lose time by bringing both cars in shortly after each other. The team also thought that Piastri's pace would be enough to create a gap. Ultimately, tyre degradation proved to be less than expected. As a result, McLaren was unable to fully exploit that speed.

Piastri responds

Piastri called the outcome painful. He said the loss hit hard, possibly even more than the disqualification in Las Vegas. The team acknowledged that the decision did not produce the desired result.

Championship implications

Verstappen's victory means the title battle will go down to the final race. After Qatar, Verstappen heads to Abu Dhabi trailing Norris by twelve points. Piastri follows four points behind Norris. McLaren says it will not introduce team orders to protect Norris. Both drivers will be given the freedom to fight for the title. The team pointed out that there are examples in the past where the number three became champion at the last minute, for example in 2007 and 2010.

• Main cause: McLaren did not expect everyone to pit.
• Technical factor: less tyre degradation than predicted.
• Sporting impact: Verstappen remains in the championship and the title question remains open.

McLaren must recover quickly. The decisions in Abu Dhabi will determine who takes the title.