Chris Harris on the “Chris Harris on Cars” podcast argued that McLaren’s decision to launch the Canadian Grand Prix on intermediate tyres made tactical sense, yet he still found the team’s delay in swapping to slicks puzzling.
Why the intermediate choice fit the Montreal conditions
McLaren entered the race with a softer compound, a move Harris likened to a demonstration run where drivers forego tyre warmers to exploit the grip advantage of intermediates over slicks for a handful of laps. Low track temperature and lingering moisture gave the Woking team confidence they could secure early track position, especially as the opening lap saw Lando Norris surge from third on the grid to lead by roughly two seconds.
Real racing emerged amid the tyre gamble
Harris praised the weekend for delivering “real racing,” noting that overtakes stuck and the front‑row battles reflected equal pace rather than artificial, technology‑driven shuffling. He singled out Kimi Antonelli as having marginally more speed, while emphasizing that the apparent yo‑yoing of positions stemmed from comparable performance rather than a strategic flaw.
Consequences for Norris and Piastri
Despite the strong start, the drying track forced both Norris and his teammate Oscar Piastri into early pit stops, a sequence that attracted heavy criticism. Norris later retired due to a gearbox failure, and Piastri could only muster an 11th‑place finish. Harris concluded that, although the initial tyre gamble was not as reckless as critics claimed, the failure to change tyres immediately after the rain subsided remained an odd strategic decision.
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