Zak Brown doesn't mince words: 'We clearly made a huge mistake'
Photo: RacePictures
Tobia is a Formula 1 journalist at GPblog with experience at international circuits. Since 2022, he has covered Grands Prix across Europe, delivering reliable coverage and insights from the paddock.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown acknowledged the costly strategic error that handed Max Verstappen the victory at the Qatar Grand Prix.
“We clearly made a huge mistake. We clearly made the wrong call. Nothing we can do about it now other than learn from it”- Zak Brown
Speaking to Sky Deutschland after the race, Brown also acknowledged the major strategic error committed by the team: “We clearly made a huge mistake. I think Oscar was absolutely impeccable all weekend. We gave his win away. I think it’s the reality. There’s no other way to look at it. And we gave Lando’s podium away. Very frustrating.
“We clearly made the wrong call. Nothing we can do about it now other than learn from it. This is two weekends in a row with some big learnings. But we need to come back in Abu Dhabi and fight hard.
“We’re leading the championship. Gave away some points for Oscar. So we need to not make these mistakes. It’s obviously all a bit raw at the moment.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Photo: Race Pictures
Finally, the American admitted that McLaren, thanks to that mistake, handed Verstappen the victory, paving the way for him to remain in the title fight set to be decided in Abu Dhabi: “We kind of handed that one to him. Not that he didn’t do a great job.”
Read also
All scenarios that would crown Norris-Verstappen-Piastri champions in Abu Dhabi
Lando Norris heads into Abu Dhabi as the favorite for the title, but Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri are still very much in the hunt, proving that the season finale could hold any outcome.
ADVERTISEMENT
After another strategic misstep from McLaren, the championship race has opened up dramatically, with Yas Marina set to once again decide the fate of the drivers’ crown. Norris leads the standings by 12 points over Verstappen and 16 over his teammate, giving him the upper hand — but nothing is guaranteed.
Read also
GPblog's latest F1 Paddock Update
Want to stay up-to-date with what happens in the F1 paddock? Then GPblog's F1 Paddock Update video is the perfect way to do it. Subscribe to GPblog's YouTube channel and turn on notifications to never miss the latest episodes.
ADVERTISEMENT
Read also
Don’t miss GPblog in Google
Mark us as a preferred source and our articles will appear more often at the top of Top Stories.
Add as a preferred / source on Google
