McLaren were a disaster, this would never happen with GP running the show

McLaren

McLaren were a disaster, this would never happen with GP running the show

What's going on at McLaren?

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Thursday 28 May 2026 20:56

McLaren have every right to be cocky. They are the reigning F1 champions, have poached senior Red Bull figures; but their recent performance at the Canadian Grand Prix has raised question marks over their strategic capabilities.

McLaren's shambolic performances in 2026 are perhaps heightened after their championship glory in the past two years. Their double DNS in China was certainly a low point technically, but their tyre strategy blunder at the start of the Canadian Grand Prix may be symptomatic of a wider issue.

Putting both drivers on the intermediate tyres on a drying track with no further rain forecast was a baffling strategy decision, sacrificing a likely podium as they were forced to pit within the opening laps for slick tyres.

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McLaren propensity to errors in 2026 has coincided with a turnaround at Ferrari where, for once, their strategy isn't the subject of online tomfoolery. And that's not good PR for McLaren.

So, how could McLaren have avoided that disastrous choice in Canada? Who exactly is responsible for their strategy? And is it a sign the McLaren management structure is waiting for one key figure before everything clicks together?

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McLaren need GP

The recent signing of Gianpiero Lambiase has provided a rare glimpse into the interior workings of the McLaren team. At first, the announcement raised speculation that Andrea Stella would be stepping down as McLaren team principal. After all why would Lambiase take on a senior position if it's already occupied by Stella?

When McLaren eventually published their press release, however, it was soon revealed that Lambiase will support Stella as chief racing officer rather than replace him. This in itself suggests Stella is overstretched in his role of team principal, and if he needs support, perhaps other senior figures in the team do also.

On the sporting and strategy side, McLaren's team is led by racing director Randy Singh, with Oli Cartlidge as their lead race strategist, responsible for supporting operational strategy decision making through weekend. Finally overseeing all sporting matters as sporting director is Will Courtenay.

These senior members are not inept. Singh has over a decade of race strategy experience in F1 at teams such as Williams and Force India, while Cartlidge was active in his role during McLaren's back-to-back title wins. Courtenay also has several championships under his belt with Red Bull having worked as a strategist at Milton Keynes since the energy drinks manufacturer took over.

That's without mentioning the talented strategists both trackside and back at McLaren Technology Centre, such as Jemma Murphy, who only started in her role this year.

So how come McLaren's strategy department, led by such an experienced set of individuals, bolstered by young talent, got it so wrong in Montreal? Well, there's the very simple explanation that people are allowed to be human That the intermediate strategy was overwhelmingly tempting because it could have led to a race victory if the rain had continued. Ultimately, however, the data didn't bend to that outcome.

But that's the point. The McLaren strategy team were close to pulling off a heroic performance, yet didn't. It suggests that at its heart, McLaren have an extremely talented strategy department. But, perhaps, those skills have not yet been refined.

Which is why McLaren need Lambiase now. It's why they've (probably) spent so much money to lure him away from Red Bull, because someone of his expertise has been their missing link.

In their announcement, McLaren said: "Lambiase is the latest hire designed to strengthen and support the talent pool that exists at McLaren."

McLaren's strategy blunder in Canada shows their strategy team need support. Which is fine! It's not a sign of weakness, and it's certainly not a sign of a team in chaos. Maybe it would be a cause for concern if this issue had not been identified, or worse, ignored with no plans to remedy.

But McLaren are definitely aware of their weaknesses. They've hired Lambiase to address them. It's just how they cope in the purgatory period before GP joins that will be the true test for the team.

Written by

Sheona Mountford - F1 Journalist

Sheona Mountford is a motorsport journalist specialising in F1. As a writer and contributor, she covers a wide range of motorsport series from F1 to F1 Academy, responsible for breaking news, live race coverage and in depth analysis of the sport and the culture around it.

View full biography

F1 McLaren Canadian Grand Prix Gianpiero Lambiase