Fresh team radio footage from the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix has revealed how McLaren’s drivers—and their race engineers—teamed up to strategically overcome Lewis Hamilton’s defensive tactics, helping Oscar Piastri go on to claim his third win in four races.
McLaren’s team principal Andrea Stella praised the behind-the-scenes coordination, especially the collaboration between Piastri’s and Lando Norris’s engineers, which he said reflected the “great spirit” within the team.
The Backstory: Hamilton’s DRS Masterclass
During the early laps in Jeddah, Norris found himself battling Hamilton for position. After overtaking the Ferrari at the final corner, Norris was immediately repassed into Turn 1—thanks to Hamilton cleverly using the DRS detection zone to his advantage. It was a classic piece of racecraft that cost Norris crucial time in his pursuit of a podium.
According to Stella, that time lost battling Hamilton ultimately denied Norris a shot at overtaking Charles Leclerc for third place.
But what happened next behind the scenes was just as impressive.
Inside the Pit Wall: Teamwork in Action
Realizing the challenge posed by Hamilton’s defensive strategy, Norris’s race engineer Will Joseph quickly radioed Tom Stallard, Piastri’s engineer, with a heads-up.
An untelevised radio message captured the moment Stallard relayed the advice to Piastri, who had just exited the pits behind Hamilton on lap 19:
“Against Lando, Hamilton was letting him through into [Turn] 27 and passing back into 1. Best to overtake into 1.”
Rather than fall into the same trap, Piastri acted decisively. He bypassed the DRS cat-and-mouse game by launching a daring move on Hamilton at Turn 22—the fastest and riskiest corner on the Jeddah circuit.
The pass proved pivotal. Piastri cleared Hamilton swiftly, kept momentum, and went on to win the race, taking the lead in the World Championship for the first time in his career. He now leads Norris by 10 points.
Stella Applauds McLaren’s Unity
Speaking after the race, Stella praised the spontaneous teamwork that unfolded on the pit wall:
“Lando’s engineer proactively told Oscar’s engineer, ‘We struggled to pass Lewis because we attempted twice in Corner 27 and he passed us back in Corner 1. Make sure Oscar gives it a go directly in Corner 1.’
“I didn’t prompt anything. I was just a spectator to an example of the great team spirit and teamwork we have at McLaren.”
He credited the seamless communication between engineers for helping Piastri avoid the same pitfall as Norris.
Stella added that had Norris cleared Hamilton sooner, he may have challenged Leclerc for the final podium spot.
“Hamilton is Lewis Hamilton. He knows how to race, and he passed Lando a couple of times. That cost us.”
Hamilton’s Struggles Continue
While McLaren celebrated, Hamilton finished a distant seventh—nearly 31 seconds behind Leclerc in the same Ferrari. The seven-time World Champion later admitted he’s had to cancel plans to focus on solving his ongoing issues.
There’s growing pressure on Hamilton since his high-profile switch from Mercedes to Ferrari, and he acknowledged that the team “aren’t happy” with his performance so far.
Still, Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur stood firmly behind Hamilton, dismissing the criticism in no uncertain terms:
“This is fing bullt,” Vasseur told media in Jeddah. “We’re in a tight competition. There are ups and downs. Lewis has the potential—he showed it in Bahrain and China. We just need to work on balance and tire management.”
He emphasized the need for calm, adding:
“You look at Max [Verstappen]—he was seventh in Bahrain, then dominant in Japan. It’s how the sport works.”
Vasseur stressed Ferrari’s plan is to work through the current challenges one step at a time, keeping faith in Hamilton’s talent and experience.