Former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya believes McLaren’s hesitation in key moments is damaging the drivers’ championship battle between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. His comments followed the Qatar Grand Prix, where McLaren’s strategy became a major talking point among analysts and fans.
McLaren chose not to pit under the early safety car, making them the only team to stay out. The team claimed the move offered more flexibility for the rest of the race, but the outcome suggested otherwise. Avoiding a double-stack pitstop meant one driver would likely lose time, especially Norris, who would have been the second car in line.
Piastri started from pole and finished second, while Norris slipped to fourth despite starting on the front row. Championship rival Max Verstappen won the race and cut the gap to 12 points, tightening the title fight ahead of the Abu Dhabi finale.
Montoya Questions McLaren’s Safety-Car Decision
Montoya expressed surprise on the F1 TV Post-Race Show, especially about the timing of McLaren’s call during the safety car phase.
“I think honestly McLaren thought, ‘Okay, we’re still too close. We’re going to have to double-stack. Oscar is gonna be fine, but we’re sacrificing Lando here, and Lando might lose five or six places because he won’t, you know, he’s going to have to have maybe an unsafe release or find a hole.’
“And I think they were so afraid. They thought he had enough pace to get away with it. So that for me was the first surprise.”
He suggested that McLaren overestimated the speed advantage of both drivers and underestimated the risk of staying out.
Tyre Choice for Norris Also Draws Criticism
Montoya then turned his attention to the tyre selection that put Norris on the hard compound, even though the driver had shown discomfort with it during practice.
“The last surprise was Lando going to hards. After we spoke in practice, he hated them. He couldn’t drive the car on the hards. They went to the softs, he looked really competitive, and the mediums looked really competitive. Hold Max a little longer and go to softs.”
“I think they’re so afraid of making decisions. They’re so afraid of screwing it up that a lot of times, when you’re afraid of making [bad] decisions, you end up making them.”
Montoya believes this fear-driven approach made the strategy more harmful than helpful.
McLaren accepted responsibility for the overall misjudgment. With Norris leading Verstappen by just 12 points and Piastri close behind, the Abu Dhabi finale now carries enormous weight for both drivers.
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