McLaren’s Painful Error Reshapes the Championship
Formula 1 moves toward its first three-driver finale in 15 years after Max Verstappen won a dramatic Qatar Grand Prix because McLaren made a decisive strategy mistake. Lando Norris called it “not our greatest day”, which understated a race where his team threw away a clear win. Norris’ lead dropped to 12 points before Abu Dhabi, with Oscar Piastri four points further back. Piastri felt stunned as he realised a certain win became second place and his title position slipped from second to third. “It’s pretty painful,” he said. Norris remains the favourite because a third place secures the title even if Verstappen wins. Qatar proved that everything can change in one moment. The situation resembles 2010, when Fernando Alonso led Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel before Ferrari’s mistake opened the door for Vettel’s first crown.
The Misjudgment That Decided the Race
McLaren endured a second difficult weekend after losing strong results through disqualifications in Las Vegas. Before Qatar, Zak Brown compared Verstappen to a horror villain who always returns. Ironically, McLaren created their own horror story at Lusail. They handed Verstappen a win that increases pressure on their drivers ahead of a thrilling finale. When a safety car appeared on lap seven after a clash between Nico Hulkenberg and Pierre Gasly, every team pitted for fresh tyres except McLaren. The decision confused rivals because Pirelli enforced a 25-lap limit on each tyre set. The safety car emerged with 50 laps left, which made two equal stints ideal. A stop under safety car saves nine seconds, making the call obvious. Verstappen understood the advantage instantly and expected McLaren to react. “I was surprised. I thought this gave us a great chance to win,” he said.
Why McLaren Refused the Sensible Option
Norris questioned the decision immediately and asked why his strategy differed from Piastri’s. His engineer Will Joseph said they wanted more options later in the race. That choice sacrificed track position on a circuit where overtaking almost never works. They would leave later stops behind Verstappen no matter what. Team principal Andrea Stella said they feared rivals might stay out, which could trap McLaren behind cars that did not pit. The race showed that any driver who stayed out would lose the place later, so the logic collapsed. Stella avoided excuses and promised a complete review. He said the team needed to examine whether group thinking influenced their judgement.
Did Equality Between Drivers Complicate the Call?
Rivals suspected another factor linked to McLaren’s strict equality policy. Piastri held pit priority as leader, so he would always stop first. Norris needed a double-stack stop, which costs around five seconds. Norris already ran behind Verstappen and risked dropping behind Kimi Antonelli and Carlos Sainz if he double-stacked. Stella called this an “extra consideration” but denied that it shaped the main choice. Some observers believed McLaren favoured Norris this season, pointing to Hungary and Italy. Zak Brown dismissed this idea earlier, calling claims of bias “nonsense”. Stella would likely echo this view now.
Abu Dhabi Set for a Nail-Biting Decider
For the sport, this result creates a dream finale. For McLaren, it brings pressure and tension before a decisive Sunday. Norris stayed calm and said he would treat Abu Dhabi like any other weekend. Piastri tried to balance frustration with perspective after losing a clear win. He said setbacks helped him grow and expected to recover emotionally soon. Verstappen enjoyed the chance to fight for a title he once considered lost. He said he felt relaxed and ready to enjoy the challenge. McLaren now prepare for deep reflection after a costly mistake in Lusail.
