GP McLaren’s botched strategy call helps Verstappen win as F1 title fight goes to final race

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain enters the box in the pitlane during the Qatar Formula One Grand Prix in Lusail

One week after losing all their points from the Las Vegas Grand Prix, McLaren threw away a bunch more in an increasingly tense Formula 1 title race by botching a strategy call at the Qatar GP yesterday [Macau time].

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took full advantage of the unexpected gift to clinch a seventh win this season — his 70th overall — as he closed the gap on championship leader Lando Norris from 24 points at the start of the weekend to 12 points, heading into next Sunday’s title decider in Abu Dhabi.

McLaren still has two drivers in contention, with Oscar Piastri four points behind Verstappen in third, but must stop the slide.

Last Sunday, the two drivers lost a combined 30 points after both were disqualified following the race, won by Verstappen.

At the Qatar GP, Norris would have clinched his first F1 title with a win but finished fourth, with Piastri placing second having started from pole position and looking assured.

But after an early safety car, McLaren’s decision to keep both drivers out backfired badly as Verstappen effectively benefited from a free tire change in a mandatory two-stop race.

“It’s tough, we just have to have faith in the team to make the right decision,” Norris told broadcaster Sky Sports. “Now it’s the wrong decision, we shouldn’t have done it (and) we didn’t do a good job today.”

Norris leads with 408 points, Verstappen has 396 and Piastri 392. All three title contenders have won seven races. Verstappen is aiming for a fifth straight F1 crown, with Piastri chasing a first title. Norris will become the first British driver to win the championship since Lewis Hamilton clinched his seventh title in 2020 if he finishes at least third in Abu Dhabi even if Verstappen wins the race.

McLaren’s gamble backfires

Although Verstappen overtook Norris heading into Turn 1, Piastri made a clean start and took a comfortable lead early on.

Piastri also said McLaren made an error by staying out following the safety car, which came out after Nico Hulkenberg’s Sauber was sent spinning off the track on Lap 7 after being clipped by Alpine driver Pierre Gasly.

“Speechless. I don’t know any words,” Piastri said. “It is a little bit tough to swallow at the moment.”

Later, the Australian added: “Clearly we didn’t get it right” and said there would be discussions.

The decision played into Verstappen’s hands and the elated Dutchman climbed out of his car and jumped into the arms of his mechanics and engineers after winning.

“This was an incredible race for us, we made the right call as a team to box under that safety car,” Verstappen said. “Super happy to win here, we stayed in the fight until the end. Incredible.”

The decision to stay out was even more questionable in a race where drivers had to take two pit stops over the 57 laps — a measure imposed on safety grounds due to a high risk of tire degradation at the Lusail International Circuit.

Gambling on holding track position left McLaren at risk later on, unless there was another safety car.

“It wasn’t the correct decision,” McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said. JEROME PUGMIRE, Auto Racing Writer, MDT/AP