Chris Harris, former presenter of _Top Gear_ and automotive journalist, has defended McLaren’s decision to start the Canadian Grand Prix on intermediate tires, deeming it a good call under the circumstances. However, he questioned why the team didn’t make changes sooner during the race.
The Woking-based team surprised many with this gamble, which initially seemed risky. Lando Norris, who started from third position, briefly led the race, but his advance was short-lived as the rain forecast did not materialize and his team was forced to make pit stops.
Despite criticism of their strategy, Harris emphasized that, given the specific conditions of the circuit, the decision to start on intermediates was reasonable. In his podcast, _Chris Harris on Cars_, he praised the excitement of the race, calling it “true competition.” He highlighted that under low track temperature conditions, the intermediate tires could provide a significant advantage in the early laps.
Harris stressed the importance of positions at the front, noting that McLaren’s tactic was not as absurd as it seemed. However, the journalist expressed perplexity over their decision to wait longer to make the tire changes, a mistake that could have altered the final results, as Norris ended up retiring due to gearbox issues and Piastri finished in eleventh position.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
