Ralf Schumacher praises McLaren’s strategy at Japanese GP despite safety car ‘death sentence

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Ralf Schumacher believes McLaren didn’t make a mistake in their pit strategy despite the ill-timed safety car possibly costing them a race win at Suzuka.

Japanese Grand Prix winner Kimi Antonelli admitted Oscar Piastri challenged him early in the race, and his win came down to the safety car timing and McLaren pitting the Australian just before.

Despite the strategy issue, McLaren showed an improved understanding of the Mercedes power unit after struggling with it in the first two races.

Safety car pit stops can change everything…

But are they ruining the spectacle and it time for them to be banned?

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Piastri handled George Russell brilliantly, not letting the Mercedes driver get the better of him in the early portion of the race.

But McLaren’s decision to pit Piastri just laps before the safety car was introduced proved to be a costly error. Even with this decision, Ralf Schumacher believes they got their strategy spot on.

READ MORE: Former McLaren engineer says Oscar Piastri strategy mistake exposed their ‘fundamental’ problem

Ralf Schumacher says McLaren got their pit strategy ‘correct’ despite unfortunate safety car

Speaking on the latest episode of Backstage Boxengasse, Ralf Schumacher was asked about McLaren’s ill-timed pitstop allowing Kimi Antonelli to take the lead and win the Japanese Grand Prix.

Schumacher noted that Antonelli winning the race was inevitable, and McLaren did the right thing with the pit strategy for Oscar Piastri, as Mercedes were just faster than them on the day.

“The question should be, ’How long would it have taken Kimi Antonelli to get back to the front?’… What McLaren did was actually correct, to prevent getting in early.

“The tyres last a long time, that wasn’t a problem at all. Driving, maintaining the pace, staying in front, getting out of the dirty air, that was all good. But the Mercedes was simply faster than them.

“Yes, of course, the safety car was practically a death sentence for the strategy. There was nothing anyone could do about it…

“Suzuka has always been a track where overtaking was difficult, where it was hard to follow, and you still see that. Now of course, the battery opens up some new possibilities…”

READ MORE: Oscar Piastri’s unbroadcast reaction to Japanese GP safety car shows he’s ready to be a champion

McLaren score their first podium of 2026 at the Japanese Grand Prix!

How many will they grab in total this season?

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McLaren cannot allow strategy blunders to define 2026 season

After what was a poor start to the 2026 season, McLaren’s performance at the Japanese Grand Prix was proof of concept for what they can achieve this season.

While they are not at the level of Mercedes just yet, McLaren toppling Ferrari, who were considered the second-best team at the start of the season, showed they can eventually develop into title contenders.

Within the team, McLaren officials are feeling optimistic about their chances, seeing how well the car performed despite issues at the start of their campaign.

McLaren are eyeing big upgrades for Miami, looking to capitalise on the momentum they’ve built after their performance at Suzuka.