McLaren Drivers Criticise Strategy Call After Qatar GP as Title Race Tightens

Piastri leads Norris as both remain on track during the early safety car period.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have openly criticised McLaren’s tactical decision-making at the Qatar Grand Prix, arguing the team’s strategy ultimately handed victory to Max Verstappen and reignited the championship fight ahead of next weekend’s season finale in Abu Dhabi.

The turning point came early in the race when a safety car appeared. While Red Bull and most other teams opted to pit, McLaren kept both drivers out, leaving Norris and Piastri exposed. Verstappen capitalised on the unorthodox call, seized control of the race, and went on to claim the win in Doha.

Norris, who entered the weekend with a comfortable 24-point lead over both Piastri and Verstappen, could only manage fourth. Piastri secured second place but was visibly frustrated after missing an opportunity to challenge Verstappen more strongly. The standings have now tightened significantly: Norris leads Verstappen by 12 points and Piastri by 16 heading into Abu Dhabi.

“It wasn’t our best weekend. Definitely not our best call,” Norris reflected. He argued both drivers should have been brought in under the safety car and insisted he would not have lost a position, even with a double-stack pit stop. “I’d have lost a bit of time, that’s it,” he said.

Piastri echoed the sentiment, describing his frustration as “pretty high,” especially given McLaren’s strong pace throughout the weekend. “We clearly didn’t get it right today. I felt like I drove well, and we were quick. So yeah, it hurts,” said the Australian.

Both drivers acknowledged the team would review the incident, with Norris emphasising resilience. “Bad weekends happen. I take it on the chin,” he said. Piastri agreed: “We made the wrong call. The world hasn’t ended—it just stings right now.”

The pressure on McLaren is magnified by their recent setback in Las Vegas, where the team was hit with a double disqualification. Team principal Andrea Stella admitted that the squad had not been maximising its potential. “Our drivers have been excellent,” Stella said. “But as a team, we haven’t been in a condition to capitalise on their performance. They have every right to be disappointed.”

Despite speculation that McLaren might impose team orders for the final race, Stella reaffirmed the team’s approach. He insisted they will continue allowing both drivers to compete—provided each remains mathematically capable of claiming the title. “We’ll follow our principles: fairness, integrity, and transparency,” he said, noting further discussions will be held with both drivers before Abu Dhabi.

Verstappen, who was more than 100 points behind the then-leader Piastri after the Dutch Grand Prix in late August, expressed satisfaction that the championship remains alive. “The first half of the season was really tough,” he said. “Being back in this fight, we can be proud of that. There were moments where it didn’t feel like winning was even possible anymore.”