Formula 1 Strategy Insight: McLaren Boss Concedes Greed Led to British GP Blunder
Andrea Stella, the Team Principal of McLaren, has retrospectively labeled the team’s decision not to double stack during the intense rainfall at the Formula 1 British Grand Prix as driven by “greed.” As Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri led the field in their MCL38 cars, expertly capitalizing on the wet conditions to surpass the Mercedes duo, the Silverstone-based outfit opted against making a simultaneous pit stop, a strategy that ultimately backfired.
Despite Piastri’s remarkable pace in the damp, the Australian lost considerable time due to his positioning behind Norris. McLaren chose not to pit both cars concurrently, which proved an incorrect judgment as the rain persisted and the track conditions further deteriorated. This led Piastri to lose substantial ground while nursing his slick tyres.
“Not only should he have pushed but we should have pushed harder for the double stack.”
Post-race, Stella has candidly acknowledged the mistake and reflected that an early double stack would have minimized the time loss for both cars. When questioned if Piastri should have pressed for an earlier stop, Stella opined:
Piastri eventually settled for a fourth-place finish, narrowly overcoming Sainz through a strategic undercut maneuver. Meanwhile, Stella highlighted that a double stack could have propelled both cars into top-tier positions. “If we could do it again, it’s stop both cars at the same time. That’s something we take for granted now.” The MCL38 strategist attributes McLaren’s hesitation to take an optimistic stance, acknowledging, “we were a little greedy.” He stresses that they should have swallowed their ego and accepted temporary setbacks instead of chasing an overzealous advantage.
Reflecting on the Event
In separate reflections on the event, Stella concurred with criticisms of their questionable strategy leading to Norris sliding down to third when the cars transitioned to slick compounds, which further exposed McLaren’s inexperience at such occasions. This blip now propels the team forward as a lesson learned – accepting, “Oscar would have been in a really strong position, at least as strong as Lando, in terms of opportunities to win the race.”
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