Analysis: How McLaren and Norris made the wrong tyre choice Horner called “baffling”

19 comments on “Analysis: How McLaren and Norris made the wrong tyre choice Horner called “baffling””

1. 

   frood19 (@frood19)
   7th July 2024, 22:28

   The radio call to Norris before his last stop was so weird especially when compared to how clear and decisive the comms with Piastri was slightly earlier. They really dropped the ball on that, driver and team together. Norris is driving really well except in the critical moments – true champions, in any sport, take their chances.
2. 

   Riker (@corsair)
   7th July 2024, 23:30

   McLaren’s strategy for both NOR and PIA lost them the race and cost them positions.
   1. 

      Esploratore (@esploratore1)
      8th July 2024, 0:06

      Yes, however as I recall they told both drivers they were the only ones who could put on mediums if needed, then went with it for piastri and not for norris, they don’t broadcast all team radios, so maybe that was a choice by norris.

      The worst call was definitely not pitting piastri for intermediates immediately, it was a bad enough call that I said, just as I saw him go to the finish line that lap and the conditions “he’s gonna lose the time he’d lose for a pit stop in a single lap, if he doesn’t crash out”, and indeed, that’s what happened, norris was already several seconds closer to him as soon as he exited the pits.
   2. 

      George.be
      8th July 2024, 9:20

      The McLaren strategists are infected with a Ferarri plague: Decisions need to be made based on data, and on the right moment, not twice a lap late. It is a whole other thing to gamble big if you’ve got nothing to lose (like with Perez in the RedBull on his first stop). The strategists can ask the driver for an opinion, but should wear their trousers and decide in the end.
      But:
      1: Not double stacking Piastri on the first stop was not smart. Piastri lost a lot more than 3-4 seconds.
      2: Waiting a lap too long with the switch to slicks for Norris, when the guys that stopped on lap 37 were showing signs of being faster compared to the sister-cars that didn’t stop yet (slower in sector one, a lot faster in the second sector, about equal in sector3). A stop in lap 38 therefore was the call to make.
      3: Chosing the wrong tire, knowing from those that started on softs, and Piastri’s switch that the medium was the faster tire. They could’ve waited to decide until 15-20 seconds before the actual stop, but prepared for both options
      1. 

         Nick T.
         8th July 2024, 11:16

         Relying solely on data has actually been one of the primary weaknesses of Ferrari. Ignoring the reality of what they’re seeing happen in front of their faces is the hallmark of a bad strategist. Good strategists use both data and what they can see happening in real time. It’s like all the times they wanted to call in their drivers while they were continuing to put in great laps on their current tires because the data told them that the tires should have been slow by then and Sainz saying “No. What are you thinking?”
         1. 

            Frank
            8th July 2024, 14:49

            You seem to think that data is a synonym for pre-race predictions or simulations.
            Real-time data such as lap times are data as well.
3. 

   DaveW (@dmw)
   8th July 2024, 0:12

   Even if the track were half dry it’s hard to see how you would not make up more than 4 seconds in the wet parts on inters. The excuses make no sense.

   But on the softs you can sort of credit the logic. If you think you have a better car than Hamilton just cover his choice. And Mclaren were faster than verstappen whole race so don’t worry about him.

   Also no one was really confident that Hamilton could do that stint in softs. It was really remarkable he was able to keep a steady pace the whole stint.
4. 

   Edvaldo
   8th July 2024, 0:45

   Not only they had Max as a reference with hard tyres, they had Piastri as well, as he went in the same lap for mediums.

   Another race, another loss for Mclaren.
5. 

   Jere (@jerejj)
   8th July 2024, 6:16

   I’m also baffled that they went for a qualifying-used soft instead of that entirely unused medium, which ultimately cost victory, while not double-stacking, like Mercedes, cost them a 1-2 chance.
6. 

   Jordan (@hunkulese)
   8th July 2024, 6:56

   It wasn’t the call to put on softs that lost the race. It was the time lost on the pit stop. If he had come out ahead of Lewis, he would have had the clean air and it would’ve been easier to defend Lewis while his tires were in the ideal condition. Having to defend with the brand new mediums would’ve been a bit trickier for the first few laps.
   1. 

      Ben
      8th July 2024, 9:32

      I somewhat agree, but I do think Norris on the mediums closes the gap and passes Hamilton in the final stint even if he came out behind him.

      Piastri was the fastest car on track until Sainz on the final lap and closed the gap from 20 seconds to 5 on Norris. Verstappen was around 11 behind Norris before the stop and while he gained some stopping earlier, he still closed that gap, passed and pulled 7 seconds on Norris.

      The soft really wasn’t the tyre to be on. Somehow Hamilton made them work, but only just. Another lap and i think Verstappen has an easy DRS overtake.
      1. 

         baasbas
         8th July 2024, 10:23

         @hunkulese @Ben
         With how close it was in the end.. Hamilton might want to thank McLaren. If they had pitted at the correct moment Hamilton would have had to overtake Norris. Which I think he would have.. But if they would have fought over first, Verstappen would have had them both in the end.
   2. 

      Hotbottoms (@hotbottoms)
      8th July 2024, 10:53

      @hunkulese
      I agree that McLaren’s decision to go for soft tyres looked worse than it actually was because Norris botched the pit stop. If he had a normal pit stop, I think it’s quite possible the race would have gone as you described. In that case, everyone would be praising McLaren for being bold and going for the win instead of settling for the more conventional strategy.
7. 

   I have an opinion
   8th July 2024, 7:57

   Norris is a fast driver, and that’s it. He’s not a strategist, he’s not a meteorologist and he’s not a tyre engineer. Just tell him when to pit and put the right tyres on and let him drive.
   1. 

      rsp123 (@rsp123)
      8th July 2024, 15:41

      Spot on.
8. 

   grapmg
   8th July 2024, 9:40

   We can analyse the data with hindsight and conclude the medium would have been the best for Lando. Still I don’t understand why Max suddenly was quicker on the hard than Lando on the soft. Lewis was also on the soft and was able to keep up the laptimes needed. I can only come to the conclusion there is a thin line between getting the tyres up to temperature as Lewis/Mercedes seem to manage while Lando didn’t. Also I dont understand how Max was able to get the hard to work as I remember Hungary 2022 where Leclerc/Ferrari made that terrible call to switch to hard while it was to cold to get them up to temperature. It looks like McLaren made a mistake but maybe at that moment it’s also a bit of luck to make the right choice
   1. 

      Señor Sjon
      8th July 2024, 10:09

      The sun broke through, which heated the tarmac, finally bringing the Red Bull somewhat near its operating window. It seems to be very picky about that. Look at Austria when it got from 4 tenths ahead of the field on Saturday to struggling on Sunday.
   2. 

      Nick T.
      8th July 2024, 11:19

      The cars respond differently on different tires. Some cars might have struggled with hards on and not with mediums or vice versa. Other cars can give you an idea if the tire can or can’t work in the conditions, but it is no guarantee. Only your other car is a guaranteed reference for how the tires should perform.
9. 

   MadMax (@madmax)
   8th July 2024, 16:49

   No other driver would have been able to make that final 14 laps stint stick on the soft tire.

Comments are closed.