Mark Hughes explains how McLaren’s pre-planned lap-one swap and split-tyre strategy blunted Verstappen’s threat and laid the groundwork for Norris’s title-winning drive
Piastri's pass on Norris was always part of the plan
We don’t know how Red Bull and Max Verstappen might have chosen to run this title-decider race if McLaren had not split its tyre strategy: points leader and P2 qualifier Lando Norris on mediums (like those of polesitter Verstappen) and hards for Oscar Piastri. All three of them possible champions, of course, but Norris heavily favoured by the maths.
Piastri’s hards were an ambitious starting tyre in isolation – risking being slow off the grid and losing vital first lap places – but as a combined strategy in trying to win one of its drivers the title, it was perfect from McLaren’s perspective. It neutralised the risk that Verstappen — who needed to win and for Norris to be fourth or lower — might try to back Norris into the cars behind. So long as Piastri ran ahead of Norris, that is, allowing him to push Verstappen into running fast, while leaving Norris to give his mediums an easy time so as to minimise the risk of front-right graining.
The front three got through the first corner in grid formation, meaning the McLarens were the wrong way around for their strategic imperative. But Piastri put that right with a committed move around the outside of the fast Turn 9 on the opening lap. Norris knew exactly what the plan was and didn’t fight the move.
Norris kept second at the start, but it didn’t last
Grand Prix Photo
Piastri pushed Verstappen along at a good pace, Norris eased back to be just outside the clutches of Charles Leclerc‘s Ferrari, and everything was nicely on schedule for a routine run to a Norris title win and a Verstappen race victory. That’s ultimately what we got, of course, but the route there wasn’t as relaxing as McLaren might have wished. Here’s why:
1. The Mercedes was prone to graining its front right around the fast Turns 1 and 9. As George Russell chased Leclerc’s fourth-place Ferrari, both of them keeping the cruising Norris in sight, he began to feel that front tyre opening out. Pitting on lap 14 was early but it got him onto the tougher hards and challenged Leclerc to an undercut. In challenging Leclerc, he also challenged Norris, who, because of his tyre-conserving pace, was not comfortably out of undercut range.
Norris and Leclerc covered Russell off on lap 16, but it was much earlier than strategically ideal for them. Being pulled into the strategy of a tyre-graining Merc meant Norris had pitted before he’d cleared the traffic. He had to deal with them ruthlessly; he did so.
2. The last car in the traffic he needed to clear was Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Yuki Tsunoda. “I know what to do, so leave me,” he radioed as Norris closed in on him up the long straight between Turns 8 and 9, with DRS deployed. Tsunoda claimed he was just trying to break the tow as he weaved left, right and left again. The last little shimmy forced Norris on the dusty Tarmac beyond the painted lines, but he was through and back up to third. The stewards didn’t agree with Tsunoda’s interpretation and penalised him 5sec.
Tsunoda could do little to help his team-mate
Red Bull
Ahead of them, Verstappen and Piastri pressed on, only a couple of seconds between them. Verstappen pitted for his hard tyres on the 23rd lap — Piastri stayed out, now leading and not intending to stop for a long while yet, even though the newer-tyred Verstappen was inevitably extending the margin he’d have after Piastri did eventually pit. Soon, Verstappen would be within the leader’s safety car window, close enough that even a safety car would have him in the lead if they both stopped then. Norris was also using his new tyres to get himself in position to get ahead when Piastri did stop.
Keeping Piastri out so long potentially boosted Norris another position – as extra insurance against Leclerc, still hovering not so comfortably far behind.
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3. Leclerc’s relentless charge was still challenging Norris’s vital podium as the Ferrari pitted for a second time on lap 39. This came just as McLaren was preparing to bring in Piastri. Instead, Norris had to be prioritised so as to cover off Leclerc. Had Leclerc not pitted, Norris would have stayed out and Piastri would have emerged behind. Norris being forced to pit again meant Piastri retained his second place. Verstappen had actually passed him for the lead on the road just before Piastri pitted and re-emerged third.
Leclerc’s hot pace continued to keep McLaren on its toes. But after the Ferrari’s new tyres had given their best, the possibility of the McLarens needing to swap positions receded.
Verstappen continued onwards to another flawless victory, his third in succession and his eighth in total this year, one more than either McLaren driver. But it wasn’t enough as Norris’s third put him 2 points ahead. “There’s really not much that I could have done different,” said Max. “I think what complicated it a bit was that Oscar being on a different strategy. So, you never know, when he then pits how much pace he has in hand to catch up again. That also complicates a bit trying to keep the pack together.”
As we’ve seen, Norris had his share of complications too, but just as in his season as a whole, he met every one of them. Lando Norris, world champion.
