Max Verstappen wasted no time poking fun at McLaren's disastrous strategy call at the Canadian Grand Prix. McLaren was the sole frontrunning team to gamble on intermediate tires at the start, despite a track that quickly dried, forcing Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri into early pit stops. Norris, who briefly led from third, retired later with a gearbox issue, while Piastri salvaged P11 after a 10-second penalty for colliding with Alex Albon. Verstappen, who took his first podium of 2026, openly laughed, stating, "That was a great call. I was like, ‘thank you’!" Piastri himself admitted the decision made them "look like idiots." While Red Bull stuck to slicks, other teams, including Cadillac, Audi, and Williams, also tried the inter strategy in the lower half. McLaren's misstep highlights the razor-thin margins in F1 strategy, and how crucial those initial calls can be for a championship contender hoping to consistently challenge Red Bull.
Read the full story at Motorsport.comMAX VERSTAPPEN LAUGHS AT MCLAREN'S FAILED STRATEGY GAMBLE
Max Verstappen wasted no time poking fun at McLaren's disastrous strategy call at the Canadian Grand Prix. McLaren was the sole frontrunning team to gamble on intermediate tires at the start, despite a track that quickly dried, forcing Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri into early pit stops. Norris, who briefly led from third, retired later with a gearbox issue, while Piastri salvaged P11 after a **10-second penalty** for colliding with Alex Albon. Verstappen, who took his first podium of 2026, openly laughed, stating, "That was a great call. I was like, ‘thank you’!" Piastri himself admitted the decision made them "look like idiots." While Red Bull stuck to slicks, other teams, including **Cadillac**, Audi, and Williams, also tried the inter strategy in the lower half. McLaren's misstep highlights the razor-thin margins in F1 strategy, and how crucial those initial calls can be for a championship contender hoping to consistently challenge Red Bull.
