McLaren’s decision to start both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri on intermediate tyres for the Canadian Grand Prix was a strategy call that ultimately backfired.
While they were not the only team to make that choice, as Audi and Cadillac (with both cars) and Williams (with one) also went for the inters option, none of the drivers involved were starting in the top 10, and thus had a lot less to lose than their McLaren counterparts.
While Norris stormed into the lead at the start of the race, both he and Piastri were forced into early pit stops to change for slicks, and the Grand Prix unravelled from there following what was ultimately a conservative tyre choice amid damp and challenging conditions in Montreal.
“It was a group call,” said Piastri after the flag when asked about the team’s decision. “I was one of the people that said yes to the inters.
“Between the anthem and getting in the car, it had gotten significantly wetter on the ground, and given how difficult getting to the grid was, I thought that the inters, if you could get temperature into them, would be faster.
“That was our whole thinking and then the rain stopped. So yeah, it was a bit of a shame. We thought we were doing the safer thing, and the right thing, and it wasn’t.”
While the decision ultimately failed to pay off, it did help Norris jump into the lead of the Grand Prix at the start, albeit briefly, with the reigning World Champion besting both Mercedes off the line.
“I just had a lot more grip, as simple as that,” he explained afterwards. “Honestly, it shows how slippery it was for them in the beginning, and I had a two second gap after one lap.
“So it wasn’t like it was stupid to be on that tyre. It was just drying out and, of course, when they got a bit of temperature into the tyres, it worked out for them. One per cent more rain, or a few little bits of drizzle here or there, and it really would have suited us a lot more.
“It was the wrong decision in hindsight. Obviously it was good for a lap and kept me out of trouble, and so easily things could have happened behind, and I would have looked much better.
“But it was a wrong decision in the end. I don’t think through any bad decision making. I think there were valid reasons for doing what we did. I’m happy we kind of went for something, and stuck to it. It doesn’t work out sometimes, that’s the way it is – so we take it on the chin, and we learn from it.”
Team Principal Andrea Stella was also part of the aforementioned group call on the choice of starting tyres, with the McLaren boss further explaining the reasoning bbehind the decision.
“In terms of making the decision, actually, it was relatively shared by the people and the drivers,” said the Italian. “I even gave my input myself, because for when a call needed to be made, I just wanted to make sure that we were on tyres that could withstand the first lap.”
The timing was also critical, given the relevant FIA regulation on when the tyres have to be on the car.
“Well, you have to consider that the tyres are fitted five minutes before the start,” Stella added. “And that’s kind of seven minutes when we needed to operationally make a decision.
“In our view, the track was greasy. Already there was trouble to keep temperature in the tyres in a dry track, but at the time it was greasy, and it was raining. So we thought that at the time you have to make a decision as to what tyres, that was the right tyre for the moment. After that, the rain very rapidly stopped.”
Another factor that made the decision look misguided to observers was the fact that, after the initial formation lap, Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad had a clutch issue on the grid, triggering an aborted start.
The cars went round again, and then had to do so a third time when the Racing Bulls machine wasn’t quite cleared in time. As this was happening the minutes ticked away and the track dried, inters no longer looked like a good call, and Piastri was already asking to change to slicks.
“At the time that you have to make a decision as to what to fit, and with not necessarily a clear idea as to when the rain would stop, the track was greasy,” said Stella. “The right tyre at the time was the intermediate tyre.
“So I was really interested in seeing a race start at the time where the race should have started, because I’m not sure how long it took for a double extra formation lap, but definitely, if you look at the pit lane, it went from being dark grey, to grey – like dry.
“So I think we always have to be a bit careful in judging decisions simply from the outcome. I think you have to judge the decision at the time that they needed to be made.
“Like I say, just the rain stopping pretty much after the five minutes signal, and then the double extra formation lap, added a clear penalty to starting on inters. But with the rain lasting for a few more minutes, and the race start happening at the right time, we could have seen, I think, cars struggling on the dry tyres.”
