A sign of weakness? McLaren strategy under scrutiny after Imola calls

After Max Verstappen's latest upset victory for Red Bull at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, McLaren's strategic calls are once more under scrutiny.

Verstappen passed pole-sitter Oscar Piastri for the lead on the first lap, but still had major work to do to secure victory with the other McLaren of Lando Norris soon passing George Russell for third.

While Verstappen's pace was undoubtedly quicker than just about anyone at Imola expected, McLaren arguably made the Dutchman's life easier with several calls during the race.

Strategic Decisions Questioned

1. Early Pit Stop for Piastri (Lap 13): Piastri, trailing Verstappen by less than three seconds, pitted early, effectively committing to a two-stop strategy. This backfired as front-runners like Verstappen and Norris stayed out, finding more life in their tyres for a one-stop strategy, while Piastri had to navigate traffic.
2. Norris Pit Stop Timing (Lap 28): Norris pitted just moments before a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was deployed for Esteban Ocon's stopped car. While unfortunate, staying out longer would have offered a higher chance of benefiting from such an interruption.

Safety Car Phase

A full Safety Car, triggered by Kimi Antonelli's technical failure, gave McLaren a chance. Verstappen pitted from the lead, and Norris followed. However, Piastri stayed out and emerged ahead of Norris on older hard tyres (16 laps older than Norris's fresh set).

Despite the clear tyre advantage for Norris and the unlikelihood of Piastri challenging Verstappen on old tyres, McLaren did not instruct Piastri to let Norris through to attack Verstappen in the closing laps.

Pundit and Team Reactions

Jacques Villeneuve (Former F1 World Champion): Questioned McLaren's strategy, calling it a sign of weakness. He argued they seemed afraid to be aggressive for the Drivers' Championship or to go against Piastri, suggesting they appeared content with second and third when a 1-2 was possible.

Lando Norris: Defended the team's handling, stating it was a tough but fair fight with Piastri. He acknowledged losing time but understood the need for hard racing when battling for a championship.

Andrea Stella (McLaren Team Principal): Considered ordering a switch but decided against it, trusting that if Norris had enough pace to challenge Verstappen, he would eventually pass Piastri on older tyres naturally. He expressed satisfaction with how things unfolded and the drivers' agreement on fairness.

Jamie Chadwick (W Series Champion): Believes it's too early in the season for team orders, as it could damage team chemistry, especially with two competitive drivers. She anticipates a clash eventually, which will require McLaren to handle the situation.