McLaren left Qatar kicking themselves after letting a golden opportunity slip away.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were both affected by decisions that did not go their way, on a day when McLaren had the chance to wrap up their first title double since 1998.
Instead, the drivers’ championship will be decided in Abu Dhabi, marking the first three-way fight for the title in 15 years.
Max Verstappen is now just 12 points behind, and his growing presence means McLaren will have to tread carefully. Teamwork could be hard to come by if Norris and Piastri end up fighting each other.
McLaren’s drivers were left fighting against the tide after an early safety car, with Andrea Stella admitting that the team’s strategy, which left both cars out, was flawed.
This strategic misstep came at a critical point in the season and could have put them in complete control. Instead, they now have some important decisions to make heading into the final round.
Andrea Stella rules out McLaren team orders for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at Abu Dhabi title decider
Stella and Zak Brown were clearly rattled after the race, taking some time to process everything before facing questions from reporters.
Verstappen described McLaren’s approach as ‘interesting’ and pointed out that he was surprised neither car stopped on lap seven, recognising it as an opportunity straight away.
Pitting both cars would have forced a double stack in the pits, likely dropping Norris further down the field and damaging his race prospects.
The decision was made to treat both drivers equally. But with Verstappen now so close, will McLaren stick to that plan in Abu Dhabi?
Ronald Vording shared on X that Stella remains committed to treating both drivers equally.
“Andrea Stella asked after the Qatar GP about McLaren’s approach to Abu Dhabi. The answer was clear: McLaren will (still) not choose between the two drivers.
“Discussions with both drivers will take place next week, but no intervention despite the threat from Max Verstappen,” the journalist posted.
Who lost the most in McLaren’s Qatar Grand Prix strategy blunder?
Even though he was the fastest driver all weekend, Piastri still left Qatar without a win. By most measures, he had earned it.
The Australian star now sits 16 points back with just one race remaining, and knows his only option is to win to have any hope.
Had the situation at the end of the first lap persisted, Piastri would currently trail Norris by only nine points, and Verstappen would be 17 points behind.
Despite accepting his team’s clear mistake, he still has an outside chance of landing his first title. Sebastian Vettel overturned a 15-point gap to win in 2010, so the Australian will need something similar.
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