Following every Grand Prix, racer Jeroen Bleekemolen shares his exclusive insights about the past race weekend. What or who caught his attention, what went well, and what needs to change? This time, he discusses the peculiar strategy of ‘PR-man’ Zak Brown at McLaren and the crisis at Red Bull. “It seems like they’re playing panic football.”
Like many, I thoroughly enjoyed the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday in Monza. Particularly, the surprising way Charles Leclerc and Ferrari managed to snatch victory from McLaren. However, I was also greatly puzzled by the decisions of McLaren and the crisis at Red Bull.
Let’s start with McLaren, which currently has the fastest car on the grid and in Lando Norris, a driver who could give Max Verstappen a run for his money in the World Championship. Then they come up with the ‘papaya rule’ to keep Norris and his teammate Oscar Piastri in line. Attacking is allowed, racing is allowed, but you can’t hit each other. That’s fine, of course, but in this decisive phase of the championship, the team should be putting all their efforts behind Norris. And they’re not doing that. I find that very strange.
‘It Drives a Racer Mad’
In Hungary, Norris had to hold back to let Piastri pass, allowing him to win his first F1 race. The ‘gift’ cost Norris seven points, the difference between P1 and P2. And yesterday, Norris came third behind Piastri in Monza, which cost him another three points. That’s already ten points. If you end up short by eight points at the end of the season, it would drive any racer mad, I imagine.
Opportunities for Position Swapping in Monza
On Sunday in Monza, there was ample time and opportunity for Piastri and Norris to swap positions. I know, the last time McLaren did this, it faced a lot of criticism. However, swaps are not new in Formula 1. They happen occasionally and, in that sense, are part of the sport. Think of Schumacher and Barrichello in the past, or Schumacher and Irvine. I understand the criticism of such arrangements to a certain extent, but from the team’s perspective, wouldn’t you always go for the constructor’s title and the driver’s title if those opportunities are there? Wouldn’t you want both world titles instead of just one?
Remaining F1 Season
There are still eight GPs and three sprint races to go this F1 season. It might look strange if McLaren backtracks now, but it would be foolish not to change course and put all their efforts on Norris. Oscar Piastri is a good driver. He could easily finish ahead of Norris a few more times, snatching valuable points that could make the difference at the end of the season.
Mark Webber’s Involvement
Besides public opinion, McLaren might also be somewhat apprehensive about what such a choice (for Norris) would mean for the team’s dynamics and synergy. I suspect that Mark Webber, as Piastri’s manager, is keeping a close eye on things and applying pressure. He was, of course, the second driver behind Sebastian Vettel during his time at Red Bull. I can imagine him saying now: I don’t want to see any games with my driver. And perhaps nothing was agreed upon in the contracts with Piastri and Norris, because let’s be honest, they probably didn’t anticipate this scenario.
The Role of the Team Boss
However, as a team boss, you have to make this call, even if it doesn’t make you popular. Is Zak Brown a soft touch? He is a PR man by trade, much more than a team boss. Don’t get me wrong, he has done a fantastic job. Otherwise, McLaren wouldn’t be where it is now. He knows how to attract the right people and create a good atmosphere, but it’s better to have a slightly less pleasant atmosphere and more points. At least if you want to be champion. Let me put it this way: if Flavio Briatore were the team boss at McLaren now, he would have handled things 100% differently.
‘Panic Football at Red Bull’
Let’s discuss Max Verstappen’s sixth place in Monza. Things are not going well at Red Bull. They seem to be at a loss. They can no longer predict how the car will perform in the race, how the tires will behave, they are making strategic mistakes, and even a pit stop went wrong yesterday. It seems as if they are playing ‘panic football’ at Red Bull. Suddenly, everything that used to go well is going wrong.
It is now crucial for Red Bull to maintain internal calm, as Max is still comfortably in first place in the drivers’ championship. Even in the constructors’ championship, they are still on top, although that lead has almost disappeared and it will be very difficult – almost impossible – to retain that title.
Red Bull needs to go back to basics and try to get the car under control. Fortunately, they now have some time, as there is no race this coming weekend. After that, the Azerbaijan GP in Baku is on the schedule. Given the characteristics of the track, this will also be a very difficult one for Red Bull. But the more time to try things, to test and evaluate, the better in this situation.
Behind the scenes, harsh words will have already been spoken, especially after this past weekend. There lies a danger that the team will further disintegrate. Only time will tell, but it’s clear to everyone that things are not looking good.
