McLaren left Imola with strong points, but Red Bull’s unexpected pace and Verstappen’s early move shaped the outcome of the Grand Prix.
McLaren F1 once again scored the most points at Imola, which had been the objective for the team. Andrea Stella, its team principal, explained that the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix was essentially decided early on, right when Max Verstappen overtook Oscar Piastri at the first corner.
“We leave Imola with a solid points result for the team. Ahead of the weekend, we knew that the track layout and ambient conditions would make for a much closer race, but we were somewhat surprised by Red Bull’s performance. Congratulations to Max,” said Stella.
“The race was decided right from the first lap with Max’s overtake on Oscar. After that, we tried different scenarios to regain the lead. Lando managed to optimize his stint on the medium tyres and had a very strong race.”
“With Oscar, we opted for a two-stop strategy. Had the hard tyres performed just slightly better, it could have been a winning strategy, but this is something we need to reflect on afterward. Going for the win always involves a degree of risk, and sometimes, taking a risk has a downside.”
“He made some excellent overtakes to adapt to the various factors in the race. Then our drivers raced cleanly and fairly, which ultimately enabled the team to secure a double podium.”
The Italian echoed Lando Norris’s post-race view that beating Verstappen was essentially impossible: “We tried different scenarios to beat Max, but at no point, I think, did we see that our race pace was sufficient.”
“Even when, thanks to the final safety car, Lando was able to get past Oscar and push to the maximum, Max largely responded to Lando. To overtake, you need to be seven or eight tenths of a second faster — that’s just how it is. The main factor in our defeat remains the change of position and the outcome of the first lap.”
While Piastri took the risk of staying out on worn tyres, Stella revealed that it was Norris who requested a pit stop during the final neutralisation: “We had discussed these kinds of scenarios before the race, so we wouldn’t be going into it having to debate everything live.”
“And we know that in the case of degradation, you need fresh tyres and to stay out on fresh tyres, even if Imola is not the easiest circuit for overtaking. Not only can you be passed by those who have pitted, but you can also be overtaken multiple times, which I think is what happened with Leclerc.”
“I think therefore that with Oscar, we were happy to take a bit of a risk, because we knew the car was competitive and that his tyres weren’t completely worn. Oscar wanted to gamble on staying out to try and gain a position.”
“It’s true, the drivers are free to race from their own perspective. But Lando was convinced he wanted new tyres, as they would have given him the chance to overtake. And again, if we wanted to have any chance against Max, we needed fresh tyres. So I think the decision was relatively straightforward.”
- Discover More>Norris Grabs P2 at Imola But Admits Max Was Too Quick
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