McLaren's Calculated Strategy Paved Way for Piastri's Overtake on Norris at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella confirmed that Oscar Piastri’s early pass on Lando Norris during the first lap of the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was a pre-discussed strategic maneuver. The decision, aimed at leveraging Piastri’s hard tyres, sought to apply early pressure on race leader Max Verstappen.

The incident occurred early in the final race of the season, with third-starting Piastri executing a clean overtake on his teammate Norris, who had started in second. Piastri’s move around the outside of the medium-speed Turn 9 left-hander saw him claim second position. While McLaren maintains a clear "let its drivers race" philosophy, allowing for on-track battles, this particular position change was underpinned by a strategic objective. Norris, who was aiming to consolidate a strong championship standing for himself and the team, was aware of and supported the plan.

The crux of McLaren’s strategy lay in the tyre choices for the start of the race. While Verstappen and Norris both began on the medium compound Pirelli C4 tyres, Piastri was fitted with the more durable C3 hard compound. The C3, though marginally slower over a single lap, offers superior resilience and a longer performance window. McLaren’s intention was for Piastri, on the harder compound, to maintain a strong pace and force Verstappen, on the softer mediums, to push harder, potentially compromising his tyre life and necessitating an earlier pit stop.

"Obviously, we wanted to have absolutely clean racing on the first lap," Stella explained regarding the team’s approach to the intra-team battle. "But we also discussed – with Oscar on a hard tyre – not making life difficult for Oscar to take the second place and then try and attack Verstappen – it was a strategic option that Lando was supporting." Stella further emphasized the collaborative nature of the decision, noting, "It was a good and fair overtake by Oscar, but in itself this is a scenario that we discussed, so it wasn’t the hardest of the battles, because there was a general interest." This indicated a collective understanding and support for the strategic play designed to benefit the team’s overall race outcome.

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The theory behind the tyre gamble was sound. Pirelli’s tyre data for the Yas Marina circuit suggested that the C3 hard compound possessed a resilience that would allow it to be driven aggressively for an extended period without significant degradation, while only being minimally slower than the C4 medium. By placing Piastri on this compound, McLaren hoped to create a dynamic where Verstappen would be caught between defending from Piastri and managing his own medium tyres. "Everyone was clear that the hard would have been a good tyre," Stella added. "And if there’s somebody on a hard chasing somebody on a medium, the one on the medium needs to push and at some stage might have to pit."

Despite McLaren’s calculated gambit, the desired outcome of destabilizing Verstappen’s race ultimately proved elusive. While Piastri initially made gains on the leader, closing the gap by as much as a second per lap in the early stages, Verstappen’s exceptional tyre management and the inherent pace advantage of the Red Bull RB20 soon neutralized the threat. Piastri’s challenge eventually stalled, and Verstappen demonstrated why Red Bull had dominated much of the season, maintaining a small but comfortable margin throughout his first stint.

Andrea Stella openly admitted the team’s surprise at Red Bull’s performance. "We were, if anything, a bit surprised that Max could go so long and so fast on the medium tyres," he stated. This unexpected longevity and pace from Verstappen meant that McLaren’s strategic advantage quickly diminished, highlighting Red Bull’s mastery of race execution and tyre preservation.

Piastri extended his first stint impressively, remaining on his hard tyres until lap 41. By this point, Norris had already completed his second pit stop, and Verstappen had been running on his set of hard tyres for 18 laps following his own pit stop. While Piastri’s extended run initially seemed promising, the gap to Verstappen stabilized rather than continued to shrink. In the end, Verstappen secured his eighth victory of the season by a margin of 12 seconds over Piastri. Norris finished a further four seconds behind Piastri, celebrating a remarkable season and his strong championship standing.

Reflecting on the race and the season as a whole, Stella acknowledged the formidable challenge posed by their rivals. "The Red Bull proved to be the fastest car once again," Stella observed. "I think they have clearly done a very good job of overcoming some difficulties. In the middle of the season, they gave us an enormous challenge to beat them on track." McLaren had mounted a significant comeback throughout the season, particularly in the latter half, transforming from early-season struggles to becoming consistent podium contenders. Their development trajectory saw them frequently challenging the front-runners, a testament to their engineering prowess and strategic acumen.

While McLaren often found themselves unable to definitively beat Red Bull on track, Stella underscored the importance of their overall performance in the championship standings. "Often we didn’t manage to do so, but it’s important that we managed to do it in the championship with Lando," he remarked, referring to Norris’s strong individual performance and the team’s significant points haul, which solidified their position as a leading contender. The team’s late-season surge saw them secure a commendable fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship, a significant achievement given their challenging start.

Stella concluded his assessment by reiterating the reigning champions’ strength: "I’m not even surprised that they are finishing the season with probably the best car." This acknowledgment underlines the benchmark Red Bull continues to set in Formula 1, even as McLaren demonstrates its intent to close the gap and compete for future honours. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, while not yielding a victory for McLaren, served as another example of their innovative strategic thinking and their ambition to challenge the sport’s elite.

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Jonas Leo: Jonas Leo is a passionate motorsport journalist and lifelong Formula 1 enthusiast. With a sharp eye for race strategy and driver performance, he brings readers closer to the world of Grand Prix racing through in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive paddock insights. Jonas has covered everything from preseason testing to dramatic title deciders, capturing the emotion and precision that define modern F1. When he’s not tracking lap times or pit stop tactics, he enjoys exploring classic racing archives and writing about the evolution of F1 technology.