After every Formula 1 race, driver Jeroen Bleekemolen shares his observations in an exclusive column for Formule1.nl. Who or what caught his attention, what went well, and what needs to change? This time: McLaren’s bizarre choice on Sunday in Qatar and why Norris remains the favorite for Abu Dhabi (despite it being a close call!)
There is so much to say about the race in Qatar, but what absolutely stands out for me is, of course, McLaren’s decision. Let me get straight to the point: McLaren is simply giving away a gift. And that’s something you shouldn’t do. Especially not to Max Verstappen. What an incredible choice to NOT bring both drivers in during the safety car.
You know that for this race there is a rule that you can drive 25 laps with a set of tires. And then, with exactly 50 laps to go, the safety car comes out… In other words: you can make the stop and then you only have to go in once more. And you’re going to keep those tires intact for 25 laps, everyone knew that. So it wasn’t even a ‘maybe’ that you had to go in. No, it was a case of ‘definitely’. An absolute no-brainer as the English themselves would say.
Error!
So now you’re just giving away a pit stop, you’re gifting 26 seconds to the rest. I find that so poor. Look, we’re all talking about how it was a fantastic strategy from Red Bull. True. But it was also a logical strategy. Everyone does it. You don’t have to think about it. And so it was especially a very wrong strategy from McLaren, a mistake.
It brings me back to what we’ve often talked about: McLaren wants to give Norris and Oscar Piastri both a chance, keep the playing field level. ‘So let’s just leave them both out’, that idea. But: they should have, of course, put their money on one man. And that man was Norris this weekend, who had the best credentials in terms of points in the title fight.
McLaren should have been world champion four races ago, with one of those two. It’s ridiculous that they’ve let it slip.
Verstappen
Max Verstappen has taken full advantage. The only blemish on his weekend is his mistake in the sprint qualifying. I dare say he is the best car driver of all time. I was a fan of Senna, but I find him even better than Senna. Incredibly good. But then we can also mention that he made a mistake in that qualification. Instead of sixth, he should have been fourth. And if he had been fourth, he would have also overtaken Lando Norris in that sprint race. He’s that good. That would have made a two-point difference.
These are things that could ultimately make the difference. But the positive for Max: if you see his speed in this race, he was no less than Norris and Piastri. He was sometimes even faster.
Tension…
The question remains: who will take the title? In theory, Norris still has the best chance. If he finishes on the podium, it’s over. Then he is still champion. But… a mistake in Q3, a track limit, a wrong pit stop, a safety car at the wrong time, an engine that can break down or a flat tire or a collision. You can think of ten things that can go wrong. And the tension that brings is enormous.
In my opinion, this is in favor of Max, who still remains calm. Like: ‘I’ll take what I can and we’ll see.’ It’s going to be exciting anyway. The popcorn can be brought out. This is going to be a fantastic climax, enjoy!
