At first blush, Sunday’s British Grand Prix seems to be like a large win for McLaren. Lando Norris captured his seventh Grand Prix podium of the season with a third-place end. Oscar Piastri completed behind him in fourth place, giving the group a 27-point haul that topped all groups at Silverstone. That chunk of factors noticed McLaren not solely achieve on Red Bull within the Constructors’ Championship however pull to inside simply seven factors of Ferrari for P2 within the standings.
And but, Sunday may have been a lot extra for McLaren.
A collection of technique selections in altering circumstances noticed McLaren flip a possible one-two end into the eventual P3 and P4 for Norris and Piastri, leaving the group to surprise simply what may have been on Sunday at Silverstone.
In the early phases, it appeared as if McLaren had gotten it proper. While Max Verstappen powered into P3 behind the Mercedes duo of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, Norris and Piastri waited to strike sitting in fourth and fifth, respectively. As the primary batch of rain got here by way of, that’s when the papaya boys pounced, and inside just a few laps, they have been operating up in first and second, with Norris forward of his teammate.
Eventually, the groups confronted the essential resolution concerning when to change from slick tires to a set of intermediates, as circumstances on the monitor started to worsen. Finally, McLaren introduced Norris in, however given the pit lane format at Silverstone — with every group having simply the one pit stall — they confronted a essential resolution: Do they carry each drivers in and double-stack the vehicles, or do they go away considered one of them out for a lap on the slick tires in worsening circumstances?
They introduced Norris in and left Piastri out.
While that labored for Norris, and he got here again out because the race chief with a three-second benefit over Hamilton, it value Piastri dearly. He wound his means round Silverstone whereas struggling to seek out sufficient grip, and after he lastly accomplished his pit cease he emerged with a set of intermediates on his MCL38, and again in sixth place behind Carlos Sainz Jr.
Up within the F1TV commentary field, Jolyon Palmer was relatively dismayed on the resolution to depart Piastri out for yet one more lap. “His race has been butchered by staying out one other lap,” acknowledged the previous F1 driver, and there was proof out there to bolster his place. Mercedes confronted the identical resolution as Hamilton and Russell however executed a strong double-stack cease and each drivers got here out forward of Piastri.
However, McLaren then caught a break, as Russell’s W15 suffered a suspected water system failure, and his retirement promoted Piastri as much as P5. He then took fourth, overtaking Sainz for the place.
Then got here the following essential resolution. With the laps ticking down and the monitor drying out, groups confronted the query of when to change from the green-walled intermediate tires — which have been beginning to present important indicators of damage — to a set of slicks. With 15 laps to go Hamilton and Verstappen each got here in for a recent set of tires, whereas McLaren left Norris out for yet one more lap.
Similar to the choice with Piastri, Norris misplaced important time on his subsequent lap on the worn intermediates, and his scenario was compounded additional by a slower-than-usual pit cease, set in movement when Norris pulled barely too far ahead in his pit field. As he lumbered out of his stall on a set of softs and tried desperately to fireplace them up, all he may do was watch Hamilton rocket by him to take the race lead.
Shortly thereafter, Norris’ hopes of a victory became a struggle to carry on for P2. Red Bull determined to bolt on a set of arduous tires on Verstappen’s RB20, and that regarded like the appropriate resolution as Verstappen slowly gained on each Hamilton and Norris, with each British drivers working round Silverstone on mushy tires. Eventually, Verstappen caught Norris and took second away from him, shuffling Norris down to 3rd the place he ultimately completed.
Dreams of a McLaren one-two end had fallen away, with the Woking-based outfit pressured to accept a P3-P4 afternoon.
“And yeah, as a group, I don’t assume we did fairly the job we must always have accomplished or adequate, however nonetheless beautiful to be on the rostrum right here in Silverstone,” admitted Norris trackside to Jenson Button following the race.
The McLaren driver then shouldered the majority of the blame.
“You know, on the identical time I blame myself at this time for not making a number of the proper selections. But, I hate it. I hate ending on this place and ever having excuses for not doing a adequate job,” mentioned Norris, earlier than turning a bit extra optimistic. “But I’m so blissful, I’m nonetheless gonna get pleasure from it. I believe we nonetheless did so many issues proper. So many positives.”
Speaking with Sky Sports Italy, McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella conceded that there have been issues they might have accomplished in another way, noting the choice to not double-stack with Piastri earlier within the race, in addition to not placing a set of mediums on Norris’ MCL38 through the remaining pit cease.
Norris accomplished his trackside interview with Button on an much more optimistic observe. I’m going to return again stronger subsequent 12 months,” mentioned Norris, “and check out once more.”
Once extra, so far as factors go this was nonetheless a powerful end result for McLaren, as they minimize into Red Bull’s lead atop the Constructors’ Championship standings, and pulled inside single digits of Ferrari for P2.
But it may have been extra for them.
So way more.
And there could be just a few stressed nights in Woking earlier than the grid roars again to life in Hungary.
