Will Buxton Slams McLaren's 'Repeated Strategic Failures' After Miami GP Undercut

Lando Norris lost his lead in the Miami Grand Prix after Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli executed a successful undercut, leaving the reigning champion frustrated and former F1 TV presenter Will Buxton sharp in his criticism of McLaren's strategic decision-making.

Norris had been leading from pole, but when Antonelli pitted early, McLaren reacted a lap later with a slightly slower stop, handing the win to Mercedes. "We just got undercut," Norris told Jenson Button. "There's no excuses other than that."

Why it matters:

McLaren is a top team fighting for championships, but recurring strategy errors are costing them wins they should have. With Mercedes looking increasingly dominant, every missed opportunity matters in the constructors' fight. The team has hired Will Courtenay from Red Bull to address this, but the Miami setback shows work remains.

Between the lines:

Buxton, speaking on the Up To Speed podcast, argued that the problem is not a one-off. "It happens far too frequently," he said. "They either panic and pit when they don't need to, or they take too long. That has been a continuous and repeated failure of the team for two and a half years." He noted that the slightly slow pitstop worsened the undercut's impact, but the root cause was the delayed decision to cover Antonelli.

What's next:

Courtenay's arrival in the strategy team is expected to bring a fresh perspective. Buxton hopes his "experience can kind of add to that and ultimately have an effect." However, changes take time, and with Mercedes setting the pace, McLaren must improve quickly if they want to challenge for wins consistently this season.