McLaren Urged to Resolve ‘Fragile’ Pit Stop Issue Amid Rising Red Bull Threat
Former Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert has warned McLaren to urgently address its recurring pit stop issues, stressing that Red Bull could easily exploit these mistakes in the title battle. The British team, once celebrated for its lightning-fast stops, has recently struggled with consistency, raising concerns about its championship hopes.
Over the past three race weekends, McLaren has endured a worrying streak of slow pit stops that have directly affected race outcomes for both of its drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. The problems began at the Italian Grand Prix, where a delayed stop triggered a controversial swap of positions between the two title contenders. Since then, the trend has continued — Norris has been held up twice during crucial tire changes, and at the most recent Singapore Grand Prix, Piastri experienced similar issues, costing him valuable seconds and track position.
These repeated errors have sparked alarm within the paddock, with many pointing out that such small but costly mistakes could prove decisive in a title fight as tight as this year’s. Johnny Herbert, who drove in F1 between 1989 and 2000, believes McLaren’s pit crew must regain the precision that once set them apart.
“The first thing McLaren has got to do is to stop making the pit stop mistakes that they’re doing at the moment,” Herbert said in an interview with BettingLounge. “You remember a couple of years ago, they were the benchmark — delivering world-record pit stops. But for whatever reason, that sharpness has gone missing. When they were the best, they could turn a race around in seconds. Now, it’s becoming a weakness, and teams like Red Bull are ready to take advantage of it.”
Herbert’s warning comes as McLaren finds itself locked in a tense battle with Red Bull for both the drivers’ and constructors’ titles. With Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez constantly within striking distance, even the slightest operational errors could tilt the balance in Red Bull’s favor.
Pit stops, once an area of dominance for McLaren, have traditionally been key to its strategy — allowing the team to undercut rivals and gain time through flawless execution. However, the recent string of blunders has exposed what Herbert describes as a “fragile” aspect of McLaren’s otherwise strong performance. “They’ve got the car, they’ve got two great drivers, but they can’t afford these operational slip-ups,” Herbert added. “Every tenth of a second counts at this stage of the championship.”
The concern is particularly pressing given Red Bull’s reputation for flawless pit work. The Milton Keynes-based team has consistently delivered some of the fastest stops on the grid, often below two seconds, maintaining their competitive edge even when their car pace falters.
As the season heads into its final stretch, McLaren faces growing pressure to tighten its procedures and rediscover its old rhythm. Any further mistakes in the pit lane could cost them not only race victories but potentially the entire championship.
Herbert concluded, “McLaren’s pit crew was once the gold standard. If they can fix this fragility, they’ll be in a strong position. But if not, Red Bull will pounce — and they won’t hesitate to make them pay for it.”
