McLaren looked poised for victory at the British Grand Prix with both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri leading the pack. However, rain threw a wrench in their strategy, forcing them to switch to intermediate tyres. The team faced a dilemma: bring both drivers in at once (risking a time-consuming double-stack pit stop) or extend a driver's stint on slick tyres (potentially gambling on better track conditions). McLaren opted for the latter with Piastri, hoping to maintain track position. This backfired. Piastri tumbled down the order after the pit stop, dropping him out of contention. Meanwhile, Norris, on a different tyre strategy, saw his grip fade in the closing laps, allowing Max Verstappen to snatch second place. McLaren boss Andrea Stella took responsibility, admitting the team's strategy calls were "a little too ambitious."
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McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella said: 'I think we were a little greedy, that we didn’t want to accept that we would have lost time with the double stack. But effectively sometimes you just have to be patient and accept that you’re going to lose time but just do the right thing, rather than hoping that one lap more is not going to cost that much, especially when the rain was pretty steady, so it’s not like [he was] going to face easier conditions staying out one more lap. I think Oscar would have been in a really strong position, at least as strong as Lando in terms of opportunities to win the race.'
McLaren's British Grand Prix result might be a bitter pill, especially for Lando Norris. Despite missing out on a potential win, there's a silver lining. McLaren continues to inch closer to Ferrari and Red Bull in the constructors' championship.
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Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri secured strong finishes at the British Grand Prix, bringing home 27 points – the most of any team at Silverstone. While Red Bull remains on top (373 points) and Ferrari holds second (302 points), McLaren has clawed its way closer with 295 points. While Red Bull extended their lead over Ferrari, McLaren narrowed the margin slightly.
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