McLaren has emerged from the Canadian Grand Prix facing intense criticism after one of the most controversial strategic decisions of the 2026 Formula 1 season severely compromised the races of both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
The Woking-based team entered the Montreal weekend looking capable of fighting near the front, yet a risky tyre gamble before the start of the race quickly transformed a promising opportunity into a major setback.
By choosing to start both cars on intermediate tyres while most of the grid opted for slicks on an almost dry circuit, McLaren immediately put itself on the wrong side of the changing conditions. Within only a few laps, both drivers were forced to pit for dry tyres, losing huge amounts of time and effectively destroying their chances of fighting for a podium.
The decision quickly became one of the most heavily discussed topics in the Formula 1 paddock after the race, especially because the team had shown strong pace throughout the weekend.
Guenther Steiner questions McLaren’s decision-making
One of the strongest reactions came from former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner during an appearance on The Red Flags podcast. The Italian manager openly criticised McLaren’s strategic approach and questioned why the team had taken such a major risk despite having a competitive car.
Guenther Steiner suggested that when nearly the entire grid chooses one direction, there is usually a strong reason behind it. In his view, gambling on intermediates would only make sense for a team starting far down the order or desperately trying to recover positions — not for a front-running team capable of fighting for strong results on pure pace.
The criticism became even sharper because the expected heavier rain never truly arrived. Instead, the track conditions improved rapidly, leaving McLaren exposed almost immediately after the formation laps.
According to Guenther Steiner, the situation ultimately reflected a broader issue of overcomplicating race strategy when a simpler and more obvious solution was already available.
Andrea Stella’s explanation fails to convince critics
After the race, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella defended the decision by pointing to several factors that had influenced the team’s calculations, including the additional formation lap and the unexpectedly rapid improvement of track conditions.
However, many inside the paddock appeared unconvinced by that explanation.
Guenther Steiner argued that Andrea Stella was naturally trying to protect the team publicly, but he also implied that the outcome itself exposed the weakness of the decision. In his opinion, if the intermediate tyre had genuinely been the correct choice, more teams would have followed the same direction instead of almost the entire grid committing to slick tyres from the start.
The criticism has intensified because McLaren’s mistake came at a moment where every point matters enormously in the championship battle. In modern Formula 1, operational precision often makes the difference between victory and defeat, particularly among the top teams where performance gaps are extremely small.
Is McLaren becoming Formula 1’s new “Ferrari”?
One of the more provocative discussions to emerge after the Canadian Grand Prix involved comparisons between McLaren’s recent race management errors and Ferrari’s well-known operational struggles from previous seasons.
Over the last decade, Ferrari frequently became the target of criticism for strategic confusion, questionable pit wall decisions and missed opportunities during crucial races. Ironically, some observers now believe the situation may be slowly shifting toward McLaren.
During the same podcast discussion, analyst Brian Muller reportedly stopped short of making a definitive judgment but admitted that Ferrari currently appears more efficient in extracting results from its package during race weekends.
That comparison is particularly striking considering Ferrari itself has spent years trying to eliminate precisely those kinds of operational weaknesses.
At the Canadian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton delivered Ferrari’s best result of the season with a second-place finish after an aggressive and controlled performance, while Charles Leclerc managed to maximise a difficult weekend despite struggling with balance and tyre management.
Meanwhile, McLaren left Montreal facing frustration and difficult internal questions despite having a car many believed was capable of much more.
Pressure now grows inside McLaren
The aftermath of the Canadian GP could increase pressure within McLaren as the team tries to maintain consistency in both championships. The pace of the MCL39 remains highly competitive, but repeated operational mistakes risk undermining the enormous progress the team has made technically over the last two seasons.
Formula 1 history repeatedly shows that championship-winning teams are defined not only by speed, but also by flawless execution under pressure. Mercedes dominated for years partly because of operational consistency, while Red Bull perfected strategic aggression during its recent title-winning era.
McLaren now faces the challenge of proving that Montreal was simply an isolated mistake rather than a sign of deeper weaknesses emerging inside one of Formula 1’s fastest-growing teams.
Because while having the fastest car can win races, poor decisions on the pit wall can still lose championships.
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