In a surprising twist at the Chinese GP Sprint qualifying, former Aston Martin strategy manager Bernie Collins has cast doubts on McLaren’s strategic approach. The team’s decision-making during the decisive SQ3 session has raised eyebrows, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris securing P3 and P6 slots respectively for the inaugural Sprint race of F1 2025.
While the Pirelli medium tyres held the spotlight in SQ1 and SQ2, the narrative took a turn in the final segment as the soft tyres grabbed attention. The focus intensified around McLaren after Norris’ strong performance in the solitary practice session. However, the limelight was ultimately stolen by Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who clinched the P1 grid position for the upcoming Sprint with a record-breaking lap at the Shanghai Circuit.
Hamilton’s impressive performance saw him outperform Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by a hair-thin margin of 0.018s, setting up an exciting front-row competition between the old rivals. Meanwhile, Piastri emerged as McLaren’s top qualifier, securing the P3 slot.
Interest around McLaren’s strategy grew when Norris decided to cancel his final lap, leaving him at P6. Collins, formerly McLaren’s performance engineer and now a Sky F1 analyst, questioned the team’s discernment in the critical SQ3 session, where they opted for a unique ‘push-cool-push’ approach unlike their competitors.
“McLaren might have some reflecting to do after that session,” Collins commented. Her analysis suggested that despite Piastri’s promising start in the SQ3 session, the dropping track temperature might have influenced the shift in their performance. Collins suggested that McLaren could have taken a riskier route by allowing both drivers to go for a single lap, rather than the ‘push-cool-push’ strategy that they pursued.
Collins did concede that the single-lap approach carried its own risks, with possible “yellow flags” and “red flags” potentially disrupting the session. However, she insisted, “Sometimes, you need to take a leap of faith in your driver and aim for the best track position to secure that pole position”.
McLaren’s performance in the F1 2025 testing had placed them as early title favourites, a view that was reinforced by their dominant front-row lockout at the Melbourne season-opener. Norris’ victory over Verstappen in a rain-soaked Grand Prix further solidified their position.
However, their absence from the Chinese GP Sprint front row has stirred up the competition. Sky F1 pundit Karun Chandhok anticipates an entertaining showdown between Hamilton and Verstappen launching from P1 and P2.
Chandhok pointed out the noticeable absence of McLaren from the front row, despite predictions of them being favorites. “We’re looking at a Hamilton vs Verstappen front row – that’s going to be a spectacle”, he predicted. The race is indeed heating up, and with the strategic decisions under scrutiny, it remains to be seen how McLaren will respond in the upcoming races.
