Lando Norris defends McLaren's tyre gamble: 'There were valid reasons'

Lando Norris has defended McLaren's decision to start the Canadian Grand Prix on intermediate tyres, calling it the wrong call in hindsight but insisting there were sound reasons behind it.

With light drizzle and cool temperatures before the race, McLaren committed to intermediates for both Norris and Oscar Piastri. But by the formation laps the track had dried, and most rivals started on softs. Norris pitted for slicks at the end of lap two, Piastri after lap one, ending any shot at a podium. Norris later retired with a technical issue on his MCL40.

Why it matters:

The miscall cost McLaren valuable points and exposed the fine line between bold strategy and costly overthinking. In a tight championship battle, such gambles can decide a season – but the team is backing its process over the result.

The details:

• Norris said he realised the mistake on the warm-up lap, but still backs the team's commitment to its plan.
• “It was the wrong decision in the end. But I don't think it came through any bad decision-making,” he told RacingNews365.
• The Briton emphasised the danger of second-guessing: “Things so easily could have happened behind, and I would have looked much better.”
• McLaren had seen the track damp during reconnaissance laps and wanted to avoid a risky switch to slicks on a still-greasy surface.
• The strategy backfired when the circuit dried faster than predicted, leaving the intermediates overheating and graining immediately.

What's next:

Norris insists McLaren will “take it on the chin and learn” – but with the team already chasing Red Bull and Ferrari, every decision is magnified. The next few races will test whether this gamble was a one-off or a sign of strategic vulnerability.