By Graham Duxbury @TheRealDux

Formula One teams rely heavily on strategy – not only on performance and speed – to win races.

Nowhere was this more evident than at last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, where a strategy failure lead to Max Verstappen's late-race pit-stop which, in turn, resulted in frustration, anger and significant penalties.

With only a handful of racing laps remaining, Red Bull made the surprise call to bring Verstappen in for hard compound tyres during a safety car period. The decision left fans as well as respected commentators and analysts puzzled, especially given the typically longer warm-up time required for hard tyres and the limited window – just six racing laps - to make them count.

In hindsight, the call from the Red Bull pit wall may have been a response to a perceived undercut threat. Nevertheless, Verstappen, seemingly secure in third place, lost momentum as the hard tyres didn’t offer the anywhere close to the performance needed. Would it not have been better to stay out and opt for track position?

It was a rare strategic misfire from a team usually known for sharp decision-making. It underscored how finely balanced modern F1 strategy has become.

While drivers like Verstappen are masters of execution, it's the strategists on the pit wall who often determine whether brilliance turns into victory or disappointment.

Photocredit: PA Images