McLaren’s Miami GP Radio Reveals Fallout from Qatar Strategy Mistake

The trauma McLaren suffered from their disastrous tactical call at last year’s Qatar Grand Prix clearly left a lasting impression.

The team’s radio exchanges with both drivers during last weekend’s Safety Car period showed how anxious they were about repeating one of last season’s most shocking mistakes.

Six rounds earlier, in the penultimate race of the season, McLaren’s strategic error damaged their drivers’ title ambitions and handed the win to Max Verstappen, setting up a tense three-way finale.

The McLarens were running first and third in Losail, with Verstappen between them, when the Safety Car was deployed on lap seven. Given the unusual one-off rules for the race and fears about tyre failures that led F1 to impose a 25-lap maximum stint, a quick early stop under the Safety Car looked sensible.

As the pit lane queue formed, however, McLaren hesitated. They left Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris out, worrying that pitting into the crowded lane could cost them time if everyone dove in. The choice misfired: nearly every other car pitted, leaving McLaren to salvage second for Piastri and a fortunate fourth for Norris. A week later Norris would edge Verstappen in one of the closest championship battles in relative terms.

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McLaren did not face the exact same scenario when the Safety Car came out early in Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix, but the circumstances were comparable. Their radio messages revealed a more cautious, deliberate approach than many rivals’, a sign of how the Qatar mistake still shapes decisions.

The Safety Car was deployed shortly after the leaders started lap six following separate crashes for Isack Hadjar and Pierre Gasly. With the incident occurring early, every team had time to consider their choice as the race neutralised.

At the start of the lap, Norris had passed Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes to move into second behind Charles Leclerc. Piastri was fifth, following George Russell. Max Verstappen had dropped to eighth after a first-lap spin, giving Red Bull extra incentive to consider a switch to hard tyres and try to run to the finish.

Red Bull did bring Verstappen in. Most of the frontrunners stayed out. McLaren, though, took a measured path and discussed their options with the drivers rather than issuing unilateral orders.

Leclerc

As race leader, Leclerc reached the pit lane entrance first and could not react to another car’s choice. Ferrari made a prompt decision and did not consult him on the pit call, likely to avoid revealing their intentions to rivals. Race engineer Bryan Bozzi instructed Leclerc to stay out as he approached the pit entry.

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Lap: 6/57 LEC: 2’18.014
Bozzi	Mode Safety Car. So it’s now double yellow from 11 onwards, exit 15, we will find Hadjar, and then Gasly also crashed in turn 17.
Bozzi	So tyres target minus 20 to minus 30 on the dash. Double yellow now in front of you, Gasly in turn 17.
Bozzi	Approaching turn 17 And stay out.
Bozzi	Exit turn 17 Stay out.

Norris

McLaren’s exchanges with Norris were noticeably different from Ferrari’s direct instruction. They invited his input and considered options, ultimately advising him to stay out but emphasising he should follow the car ahead. They repeated that guidance as he reached the pit entry, reflecting a clear fear of repeating Qatar’s error.

Lap: 6/57 NOR: 2’17.842
Joseph	And Safety Car deployed, Safety Car deployed. Lando, how are the tyres? How are the tyres?
Norris	Yeah, I feel okay to be honest, mate.
Joseph	So Hadjar’s in the wall, I think on the left-hand side exit of 15. And there’s another car in the wall in turn 17 as well. So two separate incidents.
Norris	Yeah, all good. I think pace seems okay, it’s difficult to say at the minute.
Joseph	Lando, I guess the question is, do you think you could get a hard tyre to the end from here? There’s double yellows from the exit of 11.
Norris	I think it’s too early to be honest.
Joseph	Okay. And Lando, would you take more front wing if we stop?
Norris	Yeah, I think I have to, right?
Joseph	Yeah, we think so, yeah, we’re like 1.5. And Hadjar’s on the left here.
Norris	Yep, happy.
Joseph	Turn 17 Lando, we suggest following the car ahead, follow the car ahead.
Norris	Confirm.
Joseph	Exit turn 17 Follow the car ahead, if he stays out, you stay out. Leclerc stays out, Norris does the same
Lap: 7/57 NOR: 2’17.842
Joseph	Okay, so far no one’s taken it.
Joseph	Lando, doing a good job, just avoid high part-throttle.
Joseph	And Lando two cars took it: Verstappen and Bottas.

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Antonelli

Mercedes took a more decisive approach for Antonelli, mirroring Ferrari’s method: a direct instruction to stay out without discussion.

Lap: 6/57 ANT: 2’17.101
Bonnington	We’ve got Hadjar in the wall at turn 15. Also got a yellow down at turn 13.
Bonnington	Safety Car deployed So Kimi it wasn’t so much the strat mode, it was the boost press that had us there, dropped us down on energy.
Bonnington	Passing the incident now. There’s Gasly parked down at 10-72.
Bonnington	So it’s staying out. Antonelli passes the pit lane entrance

Piastri

Piastri’s exchange was similar to Norris’s but shorter. McLaren again told him to follow the cars ahead, a brief instruction that left room for ambiguity if only some of those cars pitted.

Lap: 6/57 PIA: 2’17.314
Stallard	Safety Car, Safety Car. Delta positive, recharge on.
Piastri	Yeah, the tyre’s okay for now, struggling with some understeer in turn four and turn five.
Stallard	So Oscar there’s two reasons for the Safety Car. Hadjar is in the wall on the left, exit of turn 15, and Gasly is on the wall, on the right, exit turn 17.
	Oscar thoughts on hard tyre to the end from here?
Piastri	It’s difficult to know.
Stallard	Copy.
Stallard	Turn 17 Oscar, follow cars ahead. Follow cars ahead.

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Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton received the same clear instruction from his team as Ferrari gave their leader: stay out. There was no discussion of alternatives or advice to copy other cars ahead.

And we are staying out.

Lap: 6/57 HAM: 2’14.270
Santi	Hadjar crashed into 17… So, two crashes, Hadjar in 15, Gasly in 17. And mode Safety Car.
Hamilton	It’s going to be a long race with this damage.
Santi	We can do it. I’m sure.
Hamilton	Feels just pretty poor.
Santi	Same pace of Piastri.
Santi

Verstappen

Red Bull opted to pit Verstappen from eighth. Their call was independent: they made the decision without waiting to mirror others. Had the leaders pitted, Red Bull could have left him out, but with most staying out, bringing him in became an attractive option.

Lap: 10/57 VER: 2’20.172
Verstappen	Mate the low battery percentage, there’s something really wrong. It’s just not giving me any release.
Lambiase	Safety Car deployed, Max, dash posted. Safety Car deployed, dash posted. And the slow button on.
Lambiase	So just elaborate a little bit more on that last one.
Verstappen	Yes, the battery is not empty yet and I have already no power. Like, I still have like 15-20% but it’s already not working.
Lambiase	Exit turn 17 Box and pit confirm please Max. Box, pit confirm, strat 12 in pit lane.

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2026 Miami Grand Prix

• Miami stats: Mercedes have now won at every track on the F1 calendar – so far
• F1 drivers say they are still at the mercy of their power units over a flying lap
• McLaren’s Miami GP radio messages show the scars of Qatar GP tactical error
• ‘This is not the level F1 should be’: Norris tells F1 to ‘ditch the battery’
• Lawson was right: Racing Bulls should not have ordered him to let Verstappen past

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