P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Martin Brundle delivers his verdict on McLaren’s strategy blunder in Qatar.
Martin Brundle criticized McLaren for their strategy in the Qatar Grand Prix, where they chose not to pit Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris under an early Safety Car, costing them a potential victory.
Piastri missed out on the win by almost eight seconds as he struggled to overtake Max Verstappen due to track position being more crucial than strategic flexibility.
Verstappen’s win narrowed the championship gap to Norris to 12 points going into the final race in Abu Dhabi.
McLaren’s decision to keep their drivers out and maintain tyre flexibility backfired as others pitted and Verstappen benefitted from fresher tyres.
Brundle expressed sympathy for Piastri, who had a strong performance all weekend but fell short due to the team’s strategic error.
McLaren acknowledged the misjudgment and announced plans for an internal review to analyze their decision-making process.
