The strategy adopted by McLaren for the start of the Canadian GP on Sunday (24) was defended by the team principal, Andrea Stella. He explained the decision to start with intermediate tires on the cars of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, even though most rivals opted for dry track tires at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
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Starting from the second row, Norris and Piastri were the only leaders to use light rain tires. The choice initially paid off: Norris took the lead right at the start. Piastri was already reporting over the radio that he preferred dry track tires. When the race actually started, he switched to slicks, but finished 11th after a penalty for contact with Alex Albon of Williams. Norris retired later, suspected due to a gearbox failure.
Stella stated that the decision was made based on the conditions observed before the start and within the team’s operational window: “Well, you have to consider that the tires are put on five minutes before the start, and seven minutes before is when we needed operationally to make a decision,” he said.
He explained that the track seemed slippery and that the rain influenced the initial choice, but conditions changed quickly. “From our point of view, the track was already slippery and it was difficult to keep the tire temperature on a dry track, but it was slippery and raining.”
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According to the manager, the scenario changed after the decision, with the rain stopping and extra formation laps. “After that, the rain stopped very quickly, and there were also two extra formation laps, and I think those extra laps took the best out of that decision.”
Stella emphasized that the strategy was shared with engineers and drivers and that the judgment should consider the moment of the decision, not just the final result.
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