McLaren team boss Andrea Stella has suggested his team missed out on a podium result at the Dutch Grand Prix.
The chaotic Zandvoort affair produced an unusual podium, Max Verstappen aside, with Fernando Alonso second and Pierre Gasly third after Sergio Perez was handed a post-race time penalty for speeding in the pit lane.
McLaren meanwhile had Lando Norris in seventh, after he started alongside Verstappen on the front row, and Oscar Piastri ninth.
Both drivers opted not to stop as rain fell on the opening lap, compromising them in terms of track position in the early stages.
Piastri remained on track throughout, and his improved pace on Lap 10 signalled the cross-over point back to dry rubber.
Having led Lap 2, Norris stopped on Lap 3 and rejoined in 12th as he made the switch to intermediate rubber.
Take the short survey.
“So there were two approaches,” Stella began.
“One was to try and navigate through the rain on dry tyres, or come in for intermediate tyres.
“It’s very apparent that the best approach was -actually the one with the biggest reward was the one that was a little bit of gambling, which is coming in immediately like [Sergio] Perez and [Pierre] Gasly.
“Second lap, I think, it was the very, very logical time to come in where you had the evidence, the information to come in.
“With Lando, we hesitated at that stage, and we came in the lap after and we lost quite a bit of time.”
That has prompted a review of the communications at McLaren as it proved a costly cunctation, with Stella suggesting that the conversation should have been led by Norris from the car.
Pressed on whether the podium was achievable, Stella conceded it looked possible had Norris’ race panned out differently.
“Potentially. I think Fernando was ahead of Lando because he overtook him on track,” he explained.
“Fair play to Fernando that he gained the position on track, but behind Fernando, it could have been the position for London to finish on.
“So definitely the missed opportunity includes a potentially missed podium.”
Across the garage, leaving Piastri on track was, by Stella’s own admission, the wrong call but the Australian’s race was hindered by locking the front tyres while passing Kevin Magnussen.
“In two ways that’s a missed opportunity,” the McLaren boss explained.
“It might have been a bit lost in the noise, but actually Oscar, that stayed out, he was coming very fast and he was in a strong position.
“But Oscar’s strategy actually was putting him ahead of Albon, that was I think racing in P6 after the Safety Car, and Oscar was clearly ahead.
“So there’s a missed opportunity there for Oscar, and there’s definitely a missed opportunity with Lando in not executing the race perfectly.”
McLaren scored eight points in Zandvoort to remain fifth in the constructors’ championship, though lost ground to Ferrari in fourth as Alpine in fifth closed in courtesy, primarily, of Gasly in third.
Discussion about this post