McLaren adjusts race strategy team

[Saba Sports News] McLaren Racing made significant progress in the 2024 season, and for a long time, they were the fastest car in F1. However, Lando Norris fell short in the championship battle against Max Verstappen, for which McLaren’s strategy team is partly to blame. Throughout the 2024 season, McLaren F1 made many errors, such as not early confirming Norris’s status as the number one driver, even though he was the closest driver to Verstappen in the points standings. For instance, at the Hungarian Grand Prix, they “strongly advised” Norris to let his teammate Oscar Piastri pass to maintain the team’s “fairness.” In response, Verstappen’s father stated after the 2024 season that the primary reason Norris missed out on the championship was McLaren’s race strategy. He said that such decisions, like letting a teammate pass, would not be enforced if it were his son. In light of this, McLaren has made some internal adjustments before the new season begins. Ollie Cartrich will be promoted to Chief Race Strategist and Strategic Operations Director, having previously supervised Norris’s races over the weekends. Clearly, McLaren F1 is establishing Norris’s position as the number one driver.