As the Formula 1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix unfolds, McLaren stands firm in its strategic approach despite potential opportunities to challenge Max Verstappen.
McLaren has emerged as Red Bull’s closest competitor at Imola, showing the pace that could have secured pole position. However, Oscar Piastri’s three-place grid penalty, pushing him down to fifth, and a straightforward medium-hard one-stop strategy on a track that’s tough to overtake on, have somewhat dampened their chances.
Despite these hurdles, McLaren is exploring strategic possibilities that could give them an edge over Verstappen. These include starting on soft tires to gain an early advantage, going for an early undercut at the first pit stops, or delaying their tire change to have fresher tires towards the end of the race. The presence of Safety Cars might also create unexpected opportunities.
Andrea Stella, McLaren’s team principal, made it clear that any strategy they employ will be grounded in logic rather than luck. ‘We hope, and we would like never to find ourselves in a condition where we’ll roll the dice. We try to use some logical consideration and strategic consideration to see what’s the best approach to maximise the result,’ he told Motorsport.com.
Stella noted the unique characteristics of the Imola track, especially the long run to Turn 1, indicating that initial grid positions might not be reflective of positions after the first lap. He acknowledged that the hard tires’ longevity could allow for early stops aiming at a longer run or later stops facilitating fresher tires when overtaking.
Pirelli’s head of F1, Mario Isola, added that temperature plays a crucial role in race strategy. Warmer conditions could make undercutting more effective, while cooler temperatures might pose challenges for hard tires. ‘If it is warm then I don’t see any issue with the warm-up of the hard, and the undercut could be powerful,’ Isola said.
When asked if he thought McLaren should gamble with an unconventional strategy, Isola responded cautiously. He noted the minimal advantage of starting on softs just to jump ahead initially and the inherent risk if the move doesn’t yield immediate results, likely damaging the overall race strategy. ‘I’m not sure it is a really big advantage,’ he stated.
Stella also stressed the need to stay vigilant about competitors like Ferrari. ‘Some of the lap times, especially that [Charles] Leclerc put together in free practice in his long run compared to us, looked quite impressive,’ he said, highlighting that Verstappen isn’t the only threat McLaren needs to consider.
Overall, McLaren’s approach for the Emilia Romagna GP at Imola is one of careful calculation rather than high-risk gambits, aiming to utilize their pace and strategic options effectively to challenge both Red Bull and Ferrari.
While McLaren is ready to explore various strategic options in their challenge against Verstappen at Imola, the team is focused on logical, calculated moves rather than risky gambles, ensuring they capitalize on their strengths while keeping an eye on competitive threats from Ferrari.
