McLaren’s Strategic Misstep in Qatar Costs Piastri a Win, Tightens Title Race
What looked like a golden opportunity for McLaren to assert dominance in both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships at the Qatar Grand Prix quickly unraveled into a costly lesson in race-day decision-making. Team principal Andrea Stella didn’t shy away from the fallout, admitting that a critical strategy call during an early Safety Car period ultimately derailed what could have been a double podium-and potentially a race win-for the Woking-based team.
Let’s break down how it all went wrong.
A Dream Start Turns Sour
Things couldn’t have looked much better for McLaren in the early stages at Lusail. Oscar Piastri was leading the race with authority, and Lando Norris was sitting comfortably in third.
The team appeared poised for a statement result that would solidify its championship credentials. But then came the curveball.
On lap eight, a collision between Nico Hulkenberg and Pierre Gasly triggered the Safety Car. That moment became the turning point.
Red Bull wasted no time bringing Max Verstappen in for a pit stop, setting the tone for the rest of the grid. One by one, nearly every team followed suit, taking advantage of the neutralized pace to bolt on fresh tyres.
Except McLaren.
The Decision That Changed Everything
Rather than pitting either car, McLaren opted to keep both Piastri and Norris out on track. The thinking?
Avoiding traffic. According to Stella, the team feared that rejoining the race behind slower cars would cost them more time than they’d gain from fresh rubber.
It was a calculated risk-but one that didn’t pay off.
Even Norris seemed puzzled by the call, questioning it over the radio as he watched cars peel into the pit lane around him.
That hesitation opened the door for Verstappen, who used his fresher tyres to execute a clean, alternate strategy. Once the Red Bull star switched to the hard compound later in the race, the writing was on the wall.
Piastri, despite his early control, couldn’t claw back the gap. Verstappen took the win.
Piastri settled for second. Norris, meanwhile, slipped to fourth.
A Championship Swing
For Norris, the implications go well beyond a missed podium. With just one race left in the season, his lead over Verstappen has now been cut to just 12 points.
What could’ve been a comfortable cushion heading into Abu Dhabi is now a razor-thin margin. Piastri, thanks to his strong finish, has climbed into third place overall-setting up a dramatic three-way showdown for the title.
Stella Owns the Mistake
In the aftermath, Stella didn’t deflect. He laid out the rationale behind the decision but admitted the team got it wrong.
“The reason was that we didn't want to end up in traffic after the pitstop,” he explained. “But obviously, all the other cars and teams had a different opinion in relation to a Safety Car at lap seven.”
There was also the added complication of a potential double-stack in the pits. Pitting both drivers in quick succession could have cost Norris valuable time, something the team was wary of. But in hindsight, Stella acknowledged that when the entire field makes one call and you make another, it’s a red flag.
“Everyone pitted, and this made our staying out ultimately being incorrect from a race outcome point of view,” he said. “Oscar was in control of the race and deserved to win it, and we lost the podium as well with Lando. It was significantly penalising.”
A Rough Stretch for McLaren
The Qatar GP wasn’t an isolated stumble. Just one race earlier in Las Vegas, both McLarens were disqualified over technical violations-another gut punch for a team in the thick of a title fight.
Had Norris’ second-place finish in Vegas stood, he’d already have the championship wrapped up. Instead, that disqualification looms large.
Still, Stella pushed back on the idea that these back-to-back setbacks point to a deeper issue within the team.
“The tighter the competition is, the more you are in the spotlight, the more issues are exposed,” he said. “The stake is very big, and we are exposed as a team.”
He made it clear that the strategic misstep in Qatar and the technical issues in Vegas were unrelated-two separate incidents in a high-pressure environment, not symptoms of a systemic problem.
The Road Ahead
Now, all eyes turn to Abu Dhabi. With just one race left and three drivers mathematically in contention, the margin for error is gone. For McLaren, the mission is clear: regroup, refocus, and get the strategy right when it matters most.
Because in a title race this tight, even one miscalculation-no matter how well-intentioned-can be the difference between glory and heartbreak.