Andrea Stella, the team boss of McLaren, explains their controversial pit stop strategy. The team was primarily focused on minimizing tire-related risks. Stella observed how taking risks backfired for their competitor, Red Bull.
McLaren faced a lot of criticism for their pit stop strategy after the Hungarian Grand Prix. The team seemed to be positioning Lando Norris for an undercut on his teammate Oscar Piastri. Norris himself expressed doubts after the race about whether he should have given the leading position in the race back to Piastri. However, McLaren team boss Andrea Stella did not hesitate.
“I know Lando inside out. I know it takes time for the message to sink in,” says the Italian. “The team order was the right decision for the team and for Oscar, but also for Lando.” Stella understands why Norris had to think about McLaren’s command. “No driver will easily give up P1 in the race.”
READ ALSO: Norris criticizes McLaren: ‘Not my fault that I led the race’
McLaren’s Strategy: A Calculated Risk
Norris’ decision to step aside for Piastri in the final rounds only demonstrates that the Brit is “a fighter,” according to Stella. “That’s necessary when you’re competing with top drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.” The looming battle with Verstappen was also the reason for McLaren’s questionable pit stop strategy. “We know how hot it can get at the Hungaroring. Therefore, it was crucial to monitor tire wear. Constantly driving at the limit is too risky. We didn’t want to pit too early, as Verstappen could then attack us at the end with fresh tires. That’s why we stopped as late as possible.”
McLaren Played it Safe
Did McLaren consider the risk of executing a double stack? According to Stella, that was too risky. “I wanted to make sure we had a pit stop margin of three seconds. No extra stress for the pit crew in such a tough race. We’ve already missed many opportunities this season,” Stella explains. “It was my decision to first secure the 1-2 and then determine the finishing order. I wanted to prevent anything from going wrong with a wheel nut or something. And that we would end up behind Ferrari or Mercedes and mess it up. You’ve seen with Max Verstappen what happens when you make wrong decisions.”
Please note that all times mentioned are in UST.
