Lando Norris has raised questions about McLaren`s race strategy after being defeated by Max Verstappen at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Throughout all 53 laps at Suzuka, Norris closely followed Verstappen, pitting in the same lap. He nearly pulled alongside the Red Bull driver upon exiting the pit lane, marking his closest attempt to overtake for the lead.
Despite staying within sight of Verstappen, Norris couldn`t get within DRS range. Verstappen expertly managed his pace, securing his first victory of the Formula 1 season.
Norris commented, “I could consistently see Max throughout the race, but couldn`t close the gap. In clean air, he had enough advantage to maintain his position and avoid errors. He raced very well.”
He added, “The race outcome was largely set by yesterday`s qualifying positions. Starting higher up the grid significantly improves your chances of winning.”
“Our race pace was likely slightly better, but not sufficiently so to overcome the aerodynamic disturbance and get into DRS range. Overtaking here is notoriously difficult.”
“We experimented with some strategies, perhaps we could have been more aggressive. We pitted on the same lap, without trying an overcut or undercut. We`ll discuss these points, but securing solid points for the team and myself is positive. Naturally, I aimed for more than second place, but sometimes you have to accept it.”
Stella Explains Piastri`s Earlier Pit Stop
Reflecting on a past strategic challenge at the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix where McLaren`s decision to pit Norris first, despite Piastri leading, caused complications, Stella addressed the current race.
In contrast to Hungary, Piastri did not undercut Norris in this race. However, his earlier pit stop almost forced a reaction from Red Bull to bring Verstappen in.
When asked why Norris wasn`t given the undercut opportunity, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella explained, “We could have, but pitting Lando would have prevented us from pitting Oscar, which would have been problematic for Oscar.”
Stella continued, “Oscar would have had to wait, which could have been an issue with other cars, particularly Russell, who had pitted, and we needed to respond to that.”
Another option for McLaren was to extend Norris`s stint longer than Verstappen’s, hoping for fresher tires later in the race. However, Stella dismissed this strategy as unlikely to succeed.
“We determined that extending the stint wouldn`t have been faster than pitting,” Stella told media.
“We observed this with George Russell of Mercedes, who showed strong pace on hard tires after a later pit stop.”
“Closing on a car ahead typically requires about eight-tenths of a second advantage. Once within one second, you encounter turbulent air and lose performance. Overtaking today seemed impossible.”
Norris: Verstappen Not Known for Giving Space
Norris nearly overtook Verstappen in the pit lane after a slightly slow Red Bull pit stop created a near side-by-side situation at pit exit.
Verstappen maintained his lead, and Norris briefly went onto the grass, mentioning on the radio that he felt `forced off`.
During the press conference, Norris reflected on the incident, “The team executed a very fast pit stop under pressure.”
“It was our best chance to close the gap. I wasn’t trying to aggressively race Max there, just trying to utilize the space! I wasn`t even aware he was fully alongside. He held the position and was entitled to do so, fair play.”
Verstappen humorously added, “The grass on the right side wasn`t very well maintained. Perhaps Lando noticed that and ensured it got a trim.”
Past strategy missteps have cost McLaren potential wins, notably in Montreal, Silverstone, and Sao Paulo in the previous year.
Despite Norris out-qualifying Verstappen in those Grands Prix, Verstappen ultimately finished ahead, winning two of those races and significantly shifting the points in the championship.
While Stella avoids admitting strategic errors in this instance, McLaren did miss an opportunity to potentially secure a third consecutive win at the start of the season with a car that has shown top-tier performance.
Stella concluded, “The race outcome was largely decided in qualifying. The race itself was not very dynamic, and the final results mirrored the qualifying order.”
“We secured a good number of points, which is again encouraging for our car`s performance, although our competitors are not far behind.”
