Norris Blames McLaren Strategy After Qatar GP: A Costly Gamble Ahead of Abu Dhabi
30 November 2025
British driver Lando Norris admitted McLaren made a costly strategic error at the Qatar Grand Prix, a decision that handed Max Verstappen an advantage on the road to victory and pushed the Formula 1 Championship toward a finale in Abu Dhabi.
Norris approached the Qatar race with a 24-point cushion over rivals Max Verstappen and his teammate Oscar Piastri, and with third place secured in Saturday's sprint, victory on Sunday could have earned him his world title.
Strategic missteps and race consequences
He started from second but quickly ceded the place to Verstappen at the first corner. Then came the moment on lap seven when Nico Hulkenberg clipped Pierre Gasly, forcing the safety car in while all cars pitted for tires—except McLaren.
The team chose to keep Piastri and Norris on track, even though Pirelli rules cap tire runs at 25 laps per set, making two pit stops mandatory today.
This decision cost the drivers valuable time and forced both to execute their stops under race conditions, leaving Piastri in second while Norris could only manage fourth.
Norris was blunt after the race, telling reporters that the car had been good, that Oscar finished second and was fast, and that the only complaint was the strategy. Being the second driver, he said, is a tougher position.
He also critiqued the decision directly, saying it wasn't about being the second driver and that they should not have acted as they did; it was simply a misstep.
Notes from Norris and the championship picture
He moved up to fourth on the penultimate lap after a minor error by Kimi Räikkönen in front, and spoke about an early-lap issue when he briefly wandered off track at turn 14.
The moment left Norris wondering if he had damage. He asked the team to check, but he suffered the final lap with the hard tire.
Despite the disappointment in Qatar, Norris remained at the top of the standings, only 12 points ahead of Verstappen, while Piastri fell to third, 16 points behind his teammate today too.
And Norris will need to finish second or better in Abu Dhabi to seal the title if Verstappen wins.
Commenting before the finale, Norris said: 'I feel fine. Today wasn't ideal, but it is what it is. Now we move on.'
Punchline 1: McLaren's strategy was so off, even the tires asked for directions.
Punchline 2: Norris might win in Abu Dhabi, but the pit board clearly needs a software update.
