McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has openly admitted that the team misjudged the crucial tyre crossover from wet to dry conditions during the early stages of the recent Grand Prix weekend. This tactical miscalculation instantly turned what could have been a promising race into a pure damage limitation exercise for both of their drivers.
Lando Norris had qualified in a strong sixth position on the grid, but a misjudgement regarding the standing water on the circuit meant that within a single lap, he was forced into a desperate fight from the back of the pack. The Woking-based squad sent both cars out equipped with medium compound tyres, whereas rival outfits like Red Bull and Mercedes opted to start their race on soft compounds.
The papaya squad anticipated that the track surface would rapidly dry and heavily reward whoever committed to a slick compound early on. However, it took significantly longer than expected for the asphalt to reach a state where slick tyres could actually generate the necessary operating temperature and grip.
"Well, at the pit wall, not in terms of making calls, strategy and tyres, the most difficult moment was certainly at the start where it was unclear whether the track was requiring intermediate tires or it wouldn't work for the dry tires," Andrea Stella told the media, as reported by Motorsport.com.
Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri made the decisive call to pit at the end of the very first lap to switch onto intermediate tyres, successfully cutting his losses. On the other side of the garage, Lando Norris stayed out longer on his slick tyres while the car struggled to find any grip from the rain-soaked asphalt.
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