Verstappen Mocks McLaren Gamble That Backfired in Canada

Max Verstappen admitted he was surprised by McLaren's decision to start the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix on intermediate tyres. The Red Bull Racing driver even joked that the strategy call worked perfectly from his perspective after it ultimately backfired for two of his key rivals.

Light rain fell over Circuit Gilles Villeneuve before the start, creating uncertainty over tyre selection. However, most leading teams opted to remain on slick tyres after concluding that the rainfall would not last long enough to justify intermediates. McLaren took a different approach, choosing wet-weather rubber for both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

The decision immediately raised questions during the formation lap. Both McLaren drivers reportedly voiced concerns over team radio regarding the tyre choice. Although Norris briefly used the additional grip of the intermediates to surge into the race lead on the opening lap, conditions quickly moved against the Woking-based team as the circuit dried faster than expected.

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Within only a few laps, both McLaren drivers were forced to pit for medium tyres, effectively eliminating any strategic advantage and dropping them into traffic for the remainder of the race.

"That was a great call. I was like, 'Thank you'," Verstappen joked to media, as quoted by RacingNews365.

McLaren was not alone in selecting intermediate tyres. Audi, Cadillac, and Carlos Sainz driving for Williams also chose the wet-weather compound. However, McLaren attracted the most attention given its strong position to challenge for a significant result at the front of the field.

Race winner Andrea Kimi Antonelli also admitted he was surprised by McLaren's approach. The Mercedes driver explained that his team remained confident in slick tyres because weather data suggested the rain would not intensify or continue for long enough to justify a switch.

"We were quite confident that it wouldn't last that long and that you could survive on slicks. So I was surprised to see the McLarens on intermediates. It was a massive gamble," Antonelli said, as quoted by RacingNews365.

From a technical standpoint, McLaren's decision was not without logic. Rain was still falling when the tyre choice had to be made, and track conditions appeared slippery. However, the combination of improving weather conditions and additional formation laps accelerated the drying process and fundamentally changed the strategic outlook. What initially appeared to be a potentially race-winning gamble quickly became a significant disadvantage.

The strategy error proved to be one of the defining moments of the Canadian Grand Prix. Norris eventually retired with a gearbox failure, while Piastri finished outside the top ten. In contrast, rivals such as Antonelli, Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton capitalised on the situation to secure major championship points, further increasing the pressure on McLaren as the 2026 season progresses.