McLaren Boss Andrea Stella Explains Limited Strategy Options in Japan GP

After the Japanese Grand Prix, McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella broke down why the team had limited options to get past Red Bull's Max Verstappen, and had to settle for a P2 and P3.

Typically, having two drivers at the front can be a massive boost for a team, with many more potential strategies to employ.

Stella, however, noted some of the issues with having two teammates so close to each other.

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McLaren could have undercut Verstappen's Red Bull by pitting Norris, giving the track position advantage at a certain point in the race.

Stella, however, did not want to risk Piastri getting caught behind Charles Leclerc or George Russell.

"It's unclear whether we could [do the undercut] but I think pitting Lando [first], it would have meant that we could not pit Oscar, and this would have been a problem for Oscar," Stella explained.

"We would have waited, which I think would have been a problem with other cars, especially Russell, that pitted and that we needed to cover."

"We will review obviously the gaps in terms of time to understand whether there was a possibility to go for an undercut with Lando that could actually be executed on Max."

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"We don't have to forget though that, by giving up track positions, you also expose the car that you pit to safety car risk, for instance."

"Lando would have lost positions in a safety car should one be deployed."

"In hindsight, if you don't see any safety cars, you think 'oh yeah I might have gone for the undercut', but an undercut attempt comes with some risks."

"It was apparent that the degradation was low, so I think if you lose position with a safety car, it's lost. I don't think we could have overtaken a Ferrari or a Mercedes today."

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Stella's explanation clarifies that the team was striving for the best result for everyone, although an attempt at an undercut or overcut could have achieved the desired outcome.

It seems that, due to the limited running, the team leader did not feel inclined to make a risky decision regarding the tires.

In hindsight, the hard tire performed exceptionally well in the race, significantly outpacing the medium, and the undercut might have secured the lead.

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All the practice sessions were hindered by several delays, including fires and crashes, which caused Stella to pit Piastri first and match Verstappen's pit stop.

"I think the problem for Lando [on an overcut] would be that he would have lost positions to some other cars, including Oscar," Stella said after the race.

"They'd pitted and they were faster, and if you stay out on a 20-lap used medium, you cannot be faster than somebody that pitted on a hard."

"The situation became very clear when Russell pitted, and he was very fast on a new hard."

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"I think the overcut works well when you know that you gain like in Barcelona or in Suzuka in the past, you gain four or five laps of tyre delta."

"Then, even if you pit behind a car that stopped before, you will pass him because you have better tyres."

"But here, the tires don't almost degrade at all from one lap to the other."

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