2025 McLaren F1 Team

[Alexf1]

did McLaren plan any upgrade coming back to Europe triple header? I don't hear anything from the team (Stella or Zak) that they will bring some updates

I get the feeling the McLaren engineering team have small changes and enhancements which are best called "updates". The sort of upgrade like an Austria 2023 or Miami 2024 won't be happening nor should they be necessary. Not to say the work won't be continuing but there's still performance to come out of optimising what they have including the "dark art" part! Zak's sassy "tyre cooling water" trick I think indicates how sure they are of themselves leading up to the Barcelona rules adjustment of flexi-wing technology.

As for the "tyre water" sticker, the old saying goes: the more a team boss tells the public to look left we know he just doesn't want us to look right. The tyre water story is dead and from a long ago. The current story is the special cooling technique of the rear brake drums as described by B sport on youtube. That's what Zakis trying to divert attention from

[mwillems]

The FIA are potentially being influenced—both directly and indirectly—by lobbying from certain parties through the media. Every team plays games to some extent, as Zak Brown himself has acknowledged and participated in. But right now, the lengths Red Bull are going to in order to create issues for McLaren are intense.

In fact, it’s reached a point where even Toto Wolff stepped in to support McLaren, pushing back against Red Bull’s complaints. He made a pointed comment that teams shouldn't go around telling the world that anyone faster than them must be breaking the rules and that he backs Mclaren's innovations

Zak, of course, is also playing his part in the media narrative. His recent comments/drinks labels were clearly aimed at mocking and discrediting some of the current accusations by reminding everyone of past claims that turned out to be completely baseless.

I mentioned not long ago that we’re in the middle of an off-track war, and it’s being fought both in public and behind closed doors. From the outside, Red Bull look like a team under pressure—and Horner knows he has a lot to lose. He’ll fight hard to slow us down, especially with rumors swirling about Max having a potential get-out clause tied to championship standings/points. If Max were to leave, it could spell serious trouble for Red Bull, because he’s the only one currently extracting any real potential from that car.

Next year is a new Formula, but Max going will be very serious news.

[CjC]

did McLaren plan any upgrade coming back to Europe triple header? I don't hear anything from the team (Stella or Zak) that they will bring some updates

I believe some updates are planned for the triple header

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/the- ... -problems/

[Macklaren]

did McLaren plan any upgrade coming back to Europe triple header? I don't hear anything from the team (Stella or Zak) that they will bring some updates

I believe some updates are planned for the triple header

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/the- ... -problems/

That was a fantastic read. Should send this to every Max-stan and social media chatterer who claims this car is perfect and Lando and Oscar can't drive

[mwillems]

That article could have been lifted out of this thread. It's nothing that hasn't been pointed out in here. Along with reminding certain people that as much as a Sunday lap delta is important, track position is huge so if your car trips you up on Saturday you can struggle. Think Japan, where you needed over a second over the car in front to be able to get past. Simply focussing on one fantastic trait as saying that trait means you should win everything is silly. However, unlocking the one lap feel under braking would likely allow us to maximise our pace by being ahead of our competitors on the grid, and so this is pretty crucial now and I'm sure the team will be working hard to bring this.

Making the car faster alone has the potential to compound the feel under braking issue, and ignoring that would be to go down the Red Bull route.

[TimW]

did McLaren plan any upgrade coming back to Europe triple header? I don't hear anything from the team (Stella or Zak) that they will bring some updates

I believe some updates are planned for the triple header

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/the- ... -problems/

That was a fantastic read. Should send this to every Max-stan and social media chatterer who claims this car is perfect and Lando and Oscar can't drive

Honestly all cars seem to be difficult to drive nowadays. Max is constantly complaining about his brakes, Russell was not happy this weekend. Lewis, Yuki, the list goes on. Seems to be this generation of cars.

[CjC]

This will sting like a MF’er for the rivals and their fans

FIA clear Mclarens rear brake ducts after intensive investigation:

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/mcla ... all-clear/

[Magistos]

This will sting like a MF’er for the rivals and their fans

FIA clear Mclarens rear brake ducts after intensive investigation:

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/mcla ... all-clear/

That is GREAT news. I think I can hear the gnashing of teeth from certain quarters already!

[Macklaren]

I believe some updates are planned for the triple header

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/the- ... -problems/

That was a fantastic read. Should send this to every Max-stan and social media chatterer who claims this car is perfect and Lando and Oscar can't drive

Honestly all cars seem to be difficult to drive nowadays. Max is constantly complaining about his brakes, Russell was not happy this weekend. Lewis, Yuki, the list goes on. Seems to be this generation of cars.

I think you will see throughout his career every time someone catches up to or passes Max, he starts lambasting the car just to make clear to everyone that it's not his fault.
(I'm not saying that the RB21 is an amazing car either)

[mwillems]

I believe some updates are planned for the triple header

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/the- ... -problems/

That was a fantastic read. Should send this to every Max-stan and social media chatterer who claims this car is perfect and Lando and Oscar can't drive

Honestly all cars seem to be difficult to drive nowadays. Max is constantly complaining about his brakes, Russell was not happy this weekend. Lewis, Yuki, the list goes on. Seems to be this generation of cars.

I agree. But I think when you statistically see the frequency of errors compared to last year, by both drivers and in Q3, you can see that either both drivers are crap at Q3 this year, or the car is tricky, or a mix on that scale somewhere.

[Ground Effect]

FIA clear McLaren brake design after intensive inspection. I didn't even know that was an area of concern for rivals aka RBR

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/mcla ... all-clear/

[mwillems]

Another nothing burger in a long line of nothing burgers as RB scrabble to find a way to pull us back, in light of the fact they aren't yet able to pull themselves forward.

[bluechris]

Another nothing burger in a long line of nothing burgers as RB scrabble to find a way to pull us back, in light of the fact they aren't yet able to pull themselves forward.

History shows that some times this nothingburgers that cleared from FIA, lately are banned.

[Cassius]

Another nothing burger in a long line of nothing burgers as RB scrabble to find a way to pull us back, in light of the fact they aren't yet able to pull themselves forward.

The article says multiple teams complained. Also, every team -not just RB- both tries to hold back the leading team and improve themselves. That is f1.

[AR3-GP]

Another nothing burger in a long line of nothing burgers as RB scrabble to find a way to pull us back, in light of the fact they aren't yet able to pull themselves forward.

I think that it's not a nothingburger. These kinds of inquiries always have consequences. It's just a matter of when those consequences become realized. Thanks to rival teams, the FIA have now had a detailed look at the brake cooling system of the Mclaren. It means the FIA understand much more intimately what is going on and gives the FIA insights into how to break Mclaren's dominance, should they have the desire to do so...

The FIA has a long history of targeted regulations changes aimed at leveling the playing field. One day it will be Mclaren's turn again, just as the likes of Mclaren, Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes were hobbled in the past.

Also, as bluechris said, FIA can say one thing now, and something completely different weeks later. They did it with the flex wings (cleared it, then changed the test). They did it with Mclaren's mini-DRS (cleared it, then banned it). It certainly won't be the last time that they flip flop on an unsuspecting team. The most important outcome for rivals was to put it on the FIA's radar. I feel it won't be the last time that we hear about it. The genie is out and you can't expect it to just go back in the bottle.