F1 Rumor: McLaren Faces Mounting Pressure As Middle-Eastern Bosses Left 'Fuming'

McLaren is facing pressure from Middle-Eastern stakeholders as they express frustration over strategic missteps and missed victories, according to former champion Nico Rosberg.

May 4, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Crewmembers push the car of McLaren driver Lando Norris (4) on the grid before the F1 Sprint Race at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

McLaren's entrance into the 2024 Formula 1 season was nothing short of electrifying, particularly with a standout win at the Miami Grand Prix, thanks to Lando Norris. However, the energy behind the scenes is intensifying as the team faces mounting pressure from its Middle-Eastern stakeholders over perceived strategic missteps and missed victories, according to former champion Nico Rosberg.

Throughout the season, the Woking-based squad demonstrated they were contenders capable of clinching race wins. Despite this, the team and Norris have openly acknowledged shortcomings in their race strategies, which they believe cost them additional wins. These challenges were evident during specific Grand Prix events. At the Spanish Grand Prix, Norris faltered at the start, losing two places. Although an alternative strategy was employed, it wasn't enough to recover the lost ground fully. The Canadian Grand Prix added to their challenges as an ill-timed safety car disrupted their race strategy. Furthermore, the Austrian Grand Prix saw Norris in a promising position to win until a battle with Max Verstappen resulted in a collision and ultimately, a disappointing DNF for Norris.

Former champion Rosberg spoke about the situation during the Sky Sports F1 broadcast of the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend. According to Rosberg, the stakeholders are frustrated by the team's failure to capitalize on what could have been additional race victories, attributing these missed opportunities to strategic errors and unforeseeable race developments. Rosberg commented, as quoted by GP Blog:

"Suddenly, if you're fighting for race wins every weekend, it's a different game. Some small imperfections start to appear more strongly. I have heard that there's definitely pressure internally now to iron all that out. I heard rumours that the Middle Eastern bosses were very much fuming because a couple of wins have been thrown away now,."

It is worth noting that McLaren has not confirmed these claims at this stage.