McLarens Strategic Blunder at Qatar Grand Prix: A Surprising Pit Decision Costs Piastri and Norris a Chance at Victory and PodiumFormula One team principals were taken aback by McLarens decision not to pit during a safety car period at the Qatar Grand Prix, which ultimately cost Oscar Piastri a likely victory and Lando Norris a spot on the podium. With both drivers in strong positions and McLarens showing excellent pace, the safety car was deployed after a collision between Nico Hulkenberg and Pierre Gasly. The timing was crucial as lap seven marked the beginning of the races first pit window, with teams limited to twenty-five laps on a single set of tires. Almost every other team took advantage of this opportunity for a cheap pit stop under the safety car, making McLarens decision to stay out a notable exception. This proved to be a very costly mistake, as Max Verstappen secured a comfortable win after losing only one position during the restart. McLaren simply didnt have enough of a pace advantage to overcome the time lost by pitting later under green flag conditions.

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