BREAKING:McLaren’s Strategy Misstep in Ferrari Sprint Qualifying B…read more

BREAKING:McLaren’s Strategy Misstep in Ferrari Sprint Qualifying B…read more

McLaren’s underwhelming performance in sprint qualifying at the F1 Chinese Grand Prix has been attributed to a strategic error, according to expert analysis. Despite being tipped as the fastest team in China, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri managed third place, while Lando Norris, who had earlier topped the only practice session, was limited to sixth. Meanwhile, Ferrari’s resurgence saw Lewis Hamilton claim a shock pole position.

Strategic Gamble Backfires  

Former F1 race strategist Bernie Collins highlighted McLaren’s tactical misstep in SQ3, which saw them adopt a “push, cool, push” strategy rather than the more common single-lap approach used by other teams.

“They have got analysis to do,”* Collins warned. “Every other team went for a single lap. McLaren were the only drivers to go for the push, cool, push.”

This strategy requires drivers to push for a fast lap, then cool their tires before attempting another flying lap. However, with dropping track temperatures in Shanghai, it did not yield the expected results.

“Piastri’s lap looked so strong at the beginning of SQ3,”Collins explained. “But with the track still improving slightly, perhaps in hindsight that wasn’t the way to go. They should have committed to a single lap for both drivers.”

Ferrari’s Turnaround and Verstappen’s Gamble  

Sky Sports analyst Karun Chandhok praised Ferrari’s ability to bounce back after a lackluster performance in Australia.

“It’s impressive what the team have done,”Chandhok said. “They looked strong in Free Practice in Melbourne, but then it faded in qualifying. Here, it’s the Opposite  McLaren were expected to be at the front, but they’ve missed out.”

Meanwhile, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen executed a single flying lap on soft tires, a risk that ultimately paid off.

“Verstappen rolled the dice,” Chandhok noted. *”He did a single lap with the temperature dropping, and it worked for him. You wouldn’t have bet on a Red Bull ahead of a McLaren.”

However, Collins pointed out the inherent risk of this approach.

“With that, you risk a yellow flag at the end of the session. Sometimes, you just have to send it and be fully confident in your driver. It’s a gamble but to get pole position, you need everything to come together.”

Despite the setback, McLaren is expected to regroup ahead of Saturday’s sprint race and Sunday’s feature qualifying. Collins suggested that the team will carefully analyze their approach, and a stronger showing could be on the horizon.

“They will review it. By Saturday, we could see a very different order.”

With Ferrari back in the fight, Red Bull still a threat, and McLaren eager to correct their mistakes, the battle for victory in Shanghai remains wide open.