McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has insisted the team can still fight for the Formula One championship despite a costly strategic error at the Qatar Grand Prix that handed victory to Max Verstappen and Red Bull.
Speaking after the race, Stella admitted the decision not to pit under an early safety car was a mistake. “It was a decision not to pit. We didn’t expect everyone else to pit. It would have been the right decision to pit,” he said. “As a matter of fact, it wasn’t the correct decision.” The error cost Oscar Piastri a likely win and Lando Norris a podium finish, with both drivers dropping down the order.
Despite the setback, Stella remained defiant about McLaren’s title prospects. “It is still in our hands. It comes down to the quality of our work … we will go very determined into the finale of this season,” he said. Norris, who trails Verstappen by 12 points heading into the Abu Dhabi season finale, echoed the sentiment: “If the team does their job, and I do mine, we’ll be fine.”
Verstappen, meanwhile, capitalised on McLaren’s misfortune to close the gap in the drivers’ standings. “We made the right call as a team under the safety car. Super happy to win. We stay in the fight to the end,” he said. The Dutchman now heads to Abu Dhabi with a chance to snatch the title from Norris in a dramatic three-way battle.
The Qatar Grand Prix was marred by controversy, with some fans suggesting the result was orchestrated for entertainment. However, Stella dismissed such theories, focusing instead on the need for improvement. “We have to review the decision during the safety car on lap seven,” he said. “We thought the pace in the car might allow us to open enough of a gap. We could not exploit the pace of the car.”
