McLaren’s tricky situation during the Hungarian Grand Prix might actually be a smart move for their future, says David Coulthard. The ex-Formula 1 driver supports Andrea Stella’s decisions during the race.
The team faced criticism for their actions in the final laps. Peter Windsor thinks McLaren should focus on their top driver, while Nico Rosberg gave Stella some direct advice after the race.
During the race, McLaren decided to switch their drivers’ order. They pitted the trailing car first for an undercut strategy. This led to several tense radio messages before Norris finally agreed to swap places. His engineer, Will Joseph, had to remind him “to do the right thing,” and you could hear the stress in his voice as time ticked away .
Why McLaren’s Decision Could Be Genius
Coulthard felt frustrated watching from the commentary box because it brought up “old wounds.” However, he speculates that it might have been a clever move by Stella.
“I’m thinking maybe this is just a masterstroke from Andrea Stella where as part of the growing pains to become a genuine world championship competing team, he needs to put the team through that stress level. I wouldn’t want to go through that stress level. There was a brilliant performance from both drivers,” Coulthard said on Channel 4’s highlights show.
Over the past year, McLaren has been improving rapidly. Since early 2024, they’ve regularly competed for wins but only secured two victories so far. They’re now just 51 points behind Red Bull Racing in the Constructors Championship; however, Norris trails Verstappen by 76 points in the Drivers Championship.
Fans might think this bold strategy shows how serious McLaren is about winning big races again.
What do you think? Was this a risky but smart move or just plain stressful?
