Driving for McLaren, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are two of Formula 1’s youngest talents. Norris, the more experienced of the two, joined the F1 grid in 2019, while Piastri, now in just his second season, is quickly establishing himself as a formidable competitor. Each race offers the opportunity to score points for both the World Drivers’ Championship (WDC), awarded to highest scoring individual driver, and the World Constructors’ Championship (WCC), awarded to the team whose drivers accumulate the most points. Despite some  astounding performances in 2024, McLaren has secured only a few wins, primarily due to what fans and analysts consider “poor strategy decisions”. This includes many key moments which have cost Norris many shots at victories, and overshadowed Piastri’s first F1 win. 

Fans have voiced their deep frustrations with McLaren’s approach, arguing that it is organizational tactics leading to their demise. Specifically, better strategies could have been used to secure victories at critical races such as the Emilia Romagna, Monaco, Canadian, Spanish, Austrian, British, and Belgian Grand Prix. The Hungarian Grand Prix caused uproar where a questionable call influenced what could've been a clean cut 1-2 finish. The decision to pit Norris first, left Piastri on older tires for two additional laps, which led to an unintentional undercut by Norris, allowing him to pass Piastri and hold the lead for the final 20 laps. 

However, Norris is in second place in the WDC standings, and McLaren faced a difficult choice: keep Norris ahead for valuable championship points, or recognize Piastri’s impressive drive and let him take the win. Instead of allowing the drivers to settle the race on track, the team entirely intervened, prompting Norris to yield his position to Piastri. While this secured a McLaren a 1-2 finish, fans felt Piastri’s win was somewhat compromised. Understandably Norris was upset, leading to unprecedented backlash online. 

Earlier in the season, The Canadian Grand Prix showed fans the variety of strategies executed by other teams, which further bolstered the confusion of fans when they saw how McLaren left Norris out on the track for an overcut attempt. They held him a lap too long causing him to lose position as others performed with fresher tires. Mess-ups as such have been a recurrence in McLaren's recent races, affecting both their overall performance and the confidence of their drivers. Fans’ frustration stems from a pattern of inconsistency and foolish builders in a season where McLaren’s reputation is more on the line than ever before. With two talented drivers, they have potential and could win both the WDC and WCC. However, as the season continues, tragic missteps threaten to derail their momentum. 

Formula 1 is a complex sport where every component—drivers, engineers, and strategists—plays a crucial role in success. A crack in any area, or even a tenth of a second left ill-thought-out, can turn a promising season into one of embarrassment. If McLaren continues to make these strategic errors, it risks undermining its drivers’ performances and losing both the WDC and WCC titles. To secure these coveted championships, McLaren must refine its decision-making and capitalize on every opportunity without compromising points or positions. In the highly competitive world of Formula 1, even the smallest margin can make the difference between victory and defeat. McLaren must navigate these critical moments decisively if it wants to bring home championships in 2024.

12/01/2024