I can’t believe that after McLaren stayed out while the rest of the field pitted during the safety car, that they put on another set of mediums to both cars when they eventually did pit on lap 25. That guaranteed a two stop race for them.
Why didn’t they put at least one car on hards to see if they could make it a one stopper. At worst they’d have to make a second stop anyway if it didn’t work out, and they would have a new set of mediums at the end, or a used set of softs.
Questionable strategy, at best, wasn’t it?
All teams needed two stops at the behest of the CCP state-owned ChemChina, which owns 37.5% of Pirelli (the biggest stakeholder).
The teams that pitted on Lap 8 risked a DQ if they did not pit on Lap 33. It was akin to the old CART Road America days when teams could only pit on Lap 17 and Lap 34 of the 50-lap races at Road America (200 miles) on 40 gallons of methanol. Teams often ran out of methanol trying to stretch it on Lap 50. So if you did Lap 8, you had to pit on Lap 33. Pit on 32, you need to pit on Lap 57. Pit on 34, you’re disqualified.
Eventually CART found a way top stop this type of racing at Road America on fuel saving by adding 20 miles to the races (55 laps), which is why Road America races are 55 laps even to modern INDYCAR.
McLaren would have won if the safety car came in a manner that would have flowed them. They didn’t.