McLaren’s incomprehensible choice of intermediate tires at the start of the Canadian GP sparked numerous criticisms in the paddock.
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The bet attempted by McLaren at the start of the Canadian Grand Prix continues to cause confusion in the paddock. By choosing intermediate tires on a track that was largely dry, the British team ruined the race for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri from the very first laps.
Karun Chandhok did not hide his astonishment at this strategic decision that quickly turned into a fiasco for McLaren in Montreal.
From the start, McLaren’s choice surprised the entire paddock. Although a few drops of rain had fallen before the race, the Gilles Villeneuve circuit was nevertheless dry enough to allow the use of slick tires.
Yet, McLaren took the gamble of intermediates for its two drivers. A decision that immediately sparked very critical reactions in rival pits. Karun Chandhok revealed that several engineers and drivers had expressed their total incomprehension of this strategy to him.
“Honestly, leaving the commentators’ booth, I ran into three drivers and four engineers from other teams whose first words were: ‘What was McLaren doing?'” explained the former Indian driver on Sky Sports F1.
“No one I spoke to thought intermediates were a good choice, especially among the top teams.”
A promising start… before the disaster
For a few moments, the bet seemed to work. Thanks to his intermediate tires, Lando Norris made an excellent start and overtook the two Mercedes in the first meters.
But the illusion lasted very little. Oscar Piastri quickly reported on the radio that the strategy was wrong, and both McLaren drivers had to pit in the first laps to switch to slick tires.
“It was obvious very quickly that it was not going to work” added Chandhok.
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This choice completely destroyed the race of both drivers. Norris got stuck in traffic after his early stop and then suffered several additional problems, including overheating and then a gearbox failure that caused his retirement.
“The damage had already been done very early in the race. A horrible day for Lando Norris and McLaren” summarized Chandhok.
Piastri also in chaos
The situation was no better for Oscar Piastri. Dropped back into the pack after his stop, the Australian attempted an overly optimistic move at the hairpin on Alexander Albon.
The contact between the two drivers caused the Thai driver’s retirement and earned a ten-second penalty for the McLaren driver. Piastri ultimately finished outside the points after a completely compromised race.
Karun Chandhok also believes that McLaren put itself in this situation by its initial choice.
“Piastri fell back into the middle of the pack and then had his incident at turn 10. It was way too ambitious. The penalty was totally deserved.”
Even Bernie Collins, former F1 strategist, pointed out that all the problems McLaren encountered in Canada stemmed directly from this decision made on the grid before the start.
After only five Grands Prix this season, this strategic error could leave marks at McLaren, while Mercedes continues to dominate the championship.
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