McLaren left it pretty late with the team order swap, which could have jeopardised their stake in both titles.
Brazil has just hosted the second to last Sprint race of the 2024 Formula 1 season. In comparison to the previous Sprints held at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in Interlagos, the Sprint did not hold much excitement.
However, that is not to say that the Sao Paulo Sprint left us without some drama.
Having secured a front-row lockout yesterday at Sprint Qualifying, McLaren had it all in their hands. However, the ‘wrong’ driver is the one who acquired pole.
It was Oscar Piastri who set the fastest lap in Sprint Qualifying, with Lando Norris bailing out of his last attempt, settling for a P2 start. It was expected that team orders would reign precedent for McLaren at the Sprint today, and that is more or less what happened, although not in the way many thought.
As it happened
Starting behind the two McLarens was Charles Leclerc who jostled his Ferrari into P3, and Max Verstappen who could only manage a P4. The top 4 remained as is for the first few laps.
The McLarens were without a doubt faster than the Ferrari behind them, although, Leclerc was able to stay close. However, Max Verstappen who was faster than the Monagasque was on the Ferrari’s tail constantly – a dangerous affair for the McLarens.
By Lap 7, Lando Norris more or less suggested that McLaren needed to make the swap before it was too late. To his demise, McLaren did not seem keen on making the swap that early, with the team suggesting that it should happen towards the end of the race. Norris was clearly unhappy, implying that this was not what they had discussed beforehand.
The Australian was fast all Sprint long, a testament that he could win it had it not been for the WDC that his teammate is chasing after.
Meanwhile, on Lap 18, Verstappen finally made the move stick, getting past Leclerc at Turn 4. At this point, it looked like a swap between the two McLarens would be very risky. However, luck swayed the Papaya way, with the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg calling for a Virtual Safety Car after his Haas was smoking and leaking oil, the German unable to park his car behind the barriers.
Under the Virtual Safety Car, the long-awaited swap finally happened, although it now looked like Piastri would be very much at risk with Verstappen close behind.
The Dutchman complained, stating that Piastri was intentionally slowing down under the VSC to build a gap between them and Lando Norris up ahead. However, Race Control did not take note of that, and eventually, the race resumed, with one lap to go. Verstappen’s Red Bull got close to snatching P2 from the Aussie, however, there weren’t enough laps for the overtake to happen.
Piastri crossed the line in P2 behind his teammate, with Verstappen close behind him in P3.
Did McLaren leave it out too late
It could be argued that the Woking-based team did leave the swap too late, however, we can also argue against that.
Verstappen and Leclerc were a constant threat, especially in the first half of the Sprint. Piastri would be at a high risk of missing out on a top 3 finish, but even Norris would be under threat from Verstappen for a longer time, especially if the Dutchman were to take advantage of the early swap, and overtake Piastri in turn.
There is no doubt that McLaren were very lucky there was a VSC. This is as it protected both Norris and Piastri, allowing McLaren to secure vital points for their WCC title points.
Andrea Stella’s view
Speaking to F1TV, McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella seemed unphased by the drama. McLaren did get maximum points today, which Stella stated he was very happy about.
Here’s what he had to say:
“It’s very good news, the McLaren 1-2.
It’s the best result we can have for both Championships.
This was a clear comversation we had with our two drivers. Both drivers are completely supportive, cohesive of this kind of approach.
We are in a very lucky position to have two very lucky position to have not only two number one fast drivers, but also two very great team players.
In terms of executing the swap, this obviously depends on where the others are. As soon as we saw we had a possibility, we then executed it immediately.
The Sprint race went according to plan.
I would actually welcome many more of these kinds of situations with this kind of outcome.”
Verstappen under investigation
Verstappen finished just 4.1 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc, which could be a problem for the Dutchman. Max Verstappen is currently under investigation for a VSC infringement.
The Red Bull driver pulled partly alongside Piastri’s McLaren seconds before the race restart. According to the rules, this is not allowed under a full Safety Car. However, it does not apply under a VSC.
The Stewards are yet to come to a decision.
The reigning World Champion did not finish at least 5 seconds ahead of Leclerc. Should Max Verstappen be handed a time penalty, he will drop down to P4. Although the points awarded at a Sprint race are minimal, every point matters. Verstappen as well as Red Bull will be unhappy to lose a point. Especially considering the incoming grid penalty Verstappen will incur at tomorrow’s race.
