2025 Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 Team

[AR3-GP]

I think the gap today is unfortunately still Mclaren's tire management. Hottest qualy session of the year. (warmer than AUS where Mclaren had 6 tenths in qualy, so cutting down to 3 tenths in these conditions is still an improvement). Max kept saying he doesn't have any rear grip. The rear tires were overheating, that's why. They need to make a fundamental step with the rear wheel temperature management, or they will not win the championship.

This is what it comes down to imo:

The German publication claims Red Bull have noted ‘many blue areas around the brake vents on the McLaren tyres, while all the other cars showed a lot of orange and red’ with the team coming

RBR brake vents must start showing blue after the update.

I think it's time to stop the magic upgrade talk. I've been saying it for a long time now, the MCL39 isn't a one-trick pony, it's the complete package. They have the best aero, they have the best mechanical platform, they have the most advanced cooling solutions. Unless RB can magically upgrade all of this mid-season they will not catch them. Successful aero and cooling updates may be able to get Max within sniping distance, where he can make the difference a la Imola/Japan, but no one is catching McLaren on pure performance this season.

I don't believe in "magic" either, but if one team's brake vents show blue with thermal imaging, and everyone else shows orange and red, that has nothing to do with suspension or floor, or wings. It's the heat coming from the brakes inside the tins...(or lack of in the case of Mclaren).

Check the MCL39 technical thread. There was a post. They have a massive rear brake duct outlet for this weekend. IT's divided into 3 interior sections. There's something in their design that allows them to cool the rear tires better and it is what Max is complaining about currently. Track temp went up and the gaps grew again.

[Cs98]

"
@FDataAnalysis

#F1 #SpanishGP LONG RUNS (FP2)

SOFT
1) VER 1:19.918
2) NOR 1.20:220
3) LEC 1:20.287
4) RUS 1.20:847

MEDIUM
1) NOR 1:18.76
2) VER 1.20:088
3) LEC 1.20:675

My take:
-NOR's pace on mediums was incredible
-VER was unusually strong in his long runs (RBR has been running a lot of fuel + low engine modes in FP2 most weekends)
-Soft looks viable, but Medium is the better tyre
"

Considering how much Verstappen improved from Fp to qualifying, if he can improve similarly in race pace, we will have a good race.

I am surprised he doesn't mention that the stints are not directly comparable.

1-Max's second stint (as opposed to Lando's first) was on the softs (meaning he had less fuel than Lando).
2-Lando's Medium stint was his second stint (compared to Max's first), which in turn also means he had less fuel than Max.

Fuel corrected, there's almost nothing in the soft runs and the gap with the mediums is overly inflated, because Lando more than likely was instructed to go full pace till the end of the session (only had like 4 or 5 laps) to better judge deg.

If the longs runs from yesterday are to be taken into consideration, they should be neck and neck in terms of race pace.

We don't know the starting fuel load so all this is speculation anyways. We know from 2024 that McLaren is very strong in the race here, and they didn't have a 3 tenth quali advantage then.

[avantman]

I think the gap today is unfortunately still Mclaren's tire management. Hottest qualy session of the year. (warmer than AUS where Mclaren had 6 tenths in qualy, so cutting down to 3 tenths in these conditions is still an improvement). Max kept saying he doesn't have any rear grip. The rear tires were overheating, that's why. They need to make a fundamental step with the rear wheel temperature management, or they will not win the championship.

This is what it comes down to imo:

The German publication claims Red Bull have noted ‘many blue areas around the brake vents on the McLaren tyres, while all the other cars showed a lot of orange and red’ with the team coming

RBR brake vents must start showing blue after the update.

I think it's time to stop the magic upgrade talk. I've been saying it for a long time now, the MCL39 isn't a one-trick pony, it's the complete package. They have the best aero, they have the best mechanical platform, they have the most advanced cooling solutions. Unless RB can magically upgrade all of this mid-season they will not catch them. Successful aero and cooling updates may be able to get Max within sniping distance, where he can make the difference a la Imola/Japan, but no one is catching McLaren on pure performance this season.

Mate, I've been saying that since Barcelona last year....y'all would never listen talking about 'the next upgrade'....
Mclarens MCL38 and MCL39 are more dominant cars than the RB19. Not only their advantage over the rest is totally comprehensive, they do not have weak points whatsoever, they are 100% reliable as well. This is the car capable of winning every race, as Russell said completely correctly early into this season. ANd guess what, this car would've won every race during this year so far, if not for one driver, the difference maker who also made the RB19 and Newey look far better than they were.

[PierreW]

Third place is ok , let's hope race pace is there. McLaren seem again one step ahead.

We shouldn't ignore Tsunoda results. That speaks volume about the quality of that car. It turns out that Perez, Lawson and Tsunoda are all fine F1 drivers who are all beat up and destroyed by what this car has become. This isn't serious, RB has created a monster of a car, in a bad way. Max deserves even more praise for being able to master it enough to challenge for podium and even victories at some GP.

I hope they don't "promote" Hadjar, it would wreck his confidence and his improvement.

[avantman]

I think the gap today is unfortunately still Mclaren's tire management. Hottest qualy session of the year. (warmer than AUS where Mclaren had 6 tenths in qualy, so cutting down to 3 tenths in these conditions is still an improvement). Max kept saying he doesn't have any rear grip. The rear tires were overheating, that's why. They need to make a fundamental step with the rear wheel temperature management, or they will not win the championship.

This is what it comes down to imo:



RBR brake vents must start showing blue after the update.

I think it's time to stop the magic upgrade talk. I've been saying it for a long time now, the MCL39 isn't a one-trick pony, it's the complete package. They have the best aero, they have the best mechanical platform, they have the most advanced cooling solutions. Unless RB can magically upgrade all of this mid-season they will not catch them. Successful aero and cooling updates may be able to get Max within sniping distance, where he can make the difference a la Imola/Japan, but no one is catching McLaren on pure performance this season.

I don't believe in "magic" either, but if one team's brake vents show blue with thermal imaging, and everyone else shows orange and red, that has nothing to do with suspension or floor, or wings. It's the heat coming from the brakes inside the tins...(or lack of in the case of Mclaren).

Check the MCL39 technical thread. There was a post. They have a massive rear brake duct outlet for this weekend. IT's divided into 3 interior sections. There's something in their design that allows them to cool the rear tires better and it is what Max is complaining about currently. Track temp went up and the gaps grew again.

Man, what gaps? 3 tenths is same gap as at Suzuka, Australia....two quali in very cool conditions.

[AR3-GP]

I think it's time to stop the magic upgrade talk. I've been saying it for a long time now, the MCL39 isn't a one-trick pony, it's the complete package. They have the best aero, they have the best mechanical platform, they have the most advanced cooling solutions. Unless RB can magically upgrade all of this mid-season they will not catch them. Successful aero and cooling updates may be able to get Max within sniping distance, where he can make the difference a la Imola/Japan, but no one is catching McLaren on pure performance this season.

I don't believe in "magic" either, but if one team's brake vents show blue with thermal imaging, and everyone else shows orange and red, that has nothing to do with suspension or floor, or wings. It's the heat coming from the brakes inside the tins...(or lack of in the case of Mclaren).

Check the MCL39 technical thread. There was a post. They have a massive rear brake duct outlet for this weekend. IT's divided into 3 interior sections. There's something in their design that allows them to cool the rear tires better and it is what Max is complaining about currently. Track temp went up and the gaps grew again.

Man, what gaps? 3 tenths is same gap as at Suzuka, Australia....two quali in very cool conditions.

Australia in 40+C track temp was 6 tenths, not the paper value. The Mclaren drivers didn't set banker laps so didn't show the full speed. Suzuka was 2-3 tenths in cooler conditions with pre-update car. In Imola, with the cooler conditions and updated aero package, the gap was under half a tenth even in the ideal laptimes. Now we arrive in Barcelona with hottest track temp of the year in qualy, and they are only 3 tenths behind.

Red Bull have not introduced the rear corner update yet, so this is expected. They are running out of time, of course,and there's no gaurantee that they will manage the rear tires better than Mclaren, but this is the situation. There is a reason for the gap today. Track temperature.

[Cs98]

I think the gap today is unfortunately still Mclaren's tire management. Hottest qualy session of the year. (warmer than AUS where Mclaren had 6 tenths in qualy, so cutting down to 3 tenths in these conditions is still an improvement). Max kept saying he doesn't have any rear grip. The rear tires were overheating, that's why. They need to make a fundamental step with the rear wheel temperature management, or they will not win the championship.

This is what it comes down to imo:



RBR brake vents must start showing blue after the update.

I think it's time to stop the magic upgrade talk. I've been saying it for a long time now, the MCL39 isn't a one-trick pony, it's the complete package. They have the best aero, they have the best mechanical platform, they have the most advanced cooling solutions. Unless RB can magically upgrade all of this mid-season they will not catch them. Successful aero and cooling updates may be able to get Max within sniping distance, where he can make the difference a la Imola/Japan, but no one is catching McLaren on pure performance this season.

Mate, I've been saying that since Barcelona last year....y'all would never listen talking about 'the next upgrade'....
Mclarens MCL38 and MCL39 are more dominant cars than the RB19. Not only their advantage over the rest is totally comprehensive, they do not have weak points whatsoever, they are 100% reliable as well. This is the car capable of winning every race, as Russell said completely correctly early into this season. ANd guess what, this car would've won every race during this year so far, if not for one driver, the difference maker who also made the RB19 and Newey look far better than they were.

Let's not get hyperbolic. MCL38 was merely the best amongst several good cars, MCL39 is flat out dominant. Barcelona last year would have been way too early to give up with a year left on the regs. No car is uncatchable with enough time.

[Emag]

I think the gap today is unfortunately still Mclaren's tire management. Hottest qualy session of the year. (warmer than AUS where Mclaren had 6 tenths in qualy, so cutting down to 3 tenths in these conditions is still an improvement). Max kept saying he doesn't have any rear grip. The rear tires were overheating, that's why. They need to make a fundamental step with the rear wheel temperature management, or they will not win the championship.

This is what it comes down to imo:



RBR brake vents must start showing blue after the update.

I think it's time to stop the magic upgrade talk. I've been saying it for a long time now, the MCL39 isn't a one-trick pony, it's the complete package. They have the best aero, they have the best mechanical platform, they have the most advanced cooling solutions. Unless RB can magically upgrade all of this mid-season they will not catch them. Successful aero and cooling updates may be able to get Max within sniping distance, where he can make the difference a la Imola/Japan, but no one is catching McLaren on pure performance this season.

I don't believe in "magic" either, but if one team's brake vents show blue with thermal imaging, and everyone else shows orange and red, that has nothing to do with suspension or floor, or wings. It's the heat coming from the brakes inside the tins...(or lack of in the case of Mclaren).

Check the MCL39 technical thread. There was a post. They have a massive rear brake duct outlet for this weekend. IT's divided into 3 interior sections. There's something in their design that allows them to cool the rear tires better and it is what Max is complaining about currently. Track temp went up and the gaps grew again.

You’re kind of assuming McLaren to remain a static target as well though. They haven’t brought any “real” upgrades to their car so far, whereas RedBull’s Miami + Imola package was anything but marginal.

They (McLaren) have definitely not given up on this car yet according to rumors, they’re just making sure that what they bring, actually delivers on track.

If I were to guess, they will bring something around Silverstone for their home race, potentially raising the bar.

[AR3-GP]

I think it's time to stop the magic upgrade talk. I've been saying it for a long time now, the MCL39 isn't a one-trick pony, it's the complete package. They have the best aero, they have the best mechanical platform, they have the most advanced cooling solutions. Unless RB can magically upgrade all of this mid-season they will not catch them. Successful aero and cooling updates may be able to get Max within sniping distance, where he can make the difference a la Imola/Japan, but no one is catching McLaren on pure performance this season.

I don't believe in "magic" either, but if one team's brake vents show blue with thermal imaging, and everyone else shows orange and red, that has nothing to do with suspension or floor, or wings. It's the heat coming from the brakes inside the tins...(or lack of in the case of Mclaren).

Check the MCL39 technical thread. There was a post. They have a massive rear brake duct outlet for this weekend. IT's divided into 3 interior sections. There's something in their design that allows them to cool the rear tires better and it is what Max is complaining about currently. Track temp went up and the gaps grew again.

You’re kind of assuming McLaren to remain a static target as well though. They haven’t brought any “real” upgrades to their car so far, whereas RedBull’s Miami + Imola package was anything but marginal.

They (McLaren) have definitely not given up on this car yet according to rumors, they’re just making sure that what they bring, actually delivers on track.

If I were to guess, they will bring something around Silverstone for their home race, potentially raising the bar.

I'm not assuming that Mclaren are a static target. Rear tire temperature management is a fundamental element which unlocks the setup window. That's why Mclaren can run a small rear wing here. They aren't worried about the rear tires overheating. It's a subtle point but an improvement in this area can be worth more than any aero package that Red Bull brought so far because it changes the way the team can setup the car that they already have.

[euv2]

I think the gap today is unfortunately still Mclaren's tire management. Hottest qualy session of the year. (warmer than AUS where Mclaren had 6 tenths in qualy, so cutting down to 3 tenths in these conditions is still an improvement). Max kept saying he doesn't have any rear grip. The rear tires were overheating, that's why. They need to make a fundamental step with the rear wheel temperature management, or they will not win the championship.

This is what it comes down to imo:

The German publication claims Red Bull have noted ‘many blue areas around the brake vents on the McLaren tyres, while all the other cars showed a lot of orange and red’ with the team coming

RBR brake vents must start showing blue after the update.

I think so too, it played a large part in their pace here in qualy. For the RB21 to compensate for the rise in temps throughout the lap it has to start with lower than ideal temperatures, this cost Max massively in sector 1 even though he brakes later than PIA and gets on the throttle almost equal out of turn 1 but gets destroyed in traction because he has no grip.

If the MCL was vastly superior I think they would have a good delta in all 3 sectors but VER loses almost nothing to OSC from turn 4 onwards.

[Vettel165]

I think the gap today is unfortunately still Mclaren's tire management. Hottest qualy session of the year. (warmer than AUS where Mclaren had 6 tenths in qualy, so cutting down to 3 tenths in these conditions is still an improvement). Max kept saying he doesn't have any rear grip. The rear tires were overheating, that's why. They need to make a fundamental step with the rear wheel temperature management, or they will not win the championship.

This is what it comes down to imo:

The German publication claims Red Bull have noted ‘many blue areas around the brake vents on the McLaren tyres, while all the other cars showed a lot of orange and red’ with the team coming

RBR brake vents must start showing blue after the update.

I think so too, it played a large part in their pace here in qualy. For the RB21 to compensate for the rise in temps throughout the lap it has to start with lower than ideal temperatures, this cost Max massively in sector 1 even though he brakes later than PIA and gets on the throttle almost equal out of turn 1 but gets destroyed in traction because he has no grip.

If the MCL was vastly superior I think they would have a good delta in all 3 sectors but VER loses almost nothing to OSC from turn 4 onwards.

Great point, could be. I also saw Max go super slow on the out-lap.

[AR3-GP]

Would like to see that lap posted Juzh. It's a great lap. Very tidy in T4, T5, and T10-T13 which have been problem areas (understeer) all weekend long.

[avantman]

I don't believe in "magic" either, but if one team's brake vents show blue with thermal imaging, and everyone else shows orange and red, that has nothing to do with suspension or floor, or wings. It's the heat coming from the brakes inside the tins...(or lack of in the case of Mclaren).

Check the MCL39 technical thread. There was a post. They have a massive rear brake duct outlet for this weekend. IT's divided into 3 interior sections. There's something in their design that allows them to cool the rear tires better and it is what Max is complaining about currently. Track temp went up and the gaps grew again.

You’re kind of assuming McLaren to remain a static target as well though. They haven’t brought any “real” upgrades to their car so far, whereas RedBull’s Miami + Imola package was anything but marginal.

They (McLaren) have definitely not given up on this car yet according to rumors, they’re just making sure that what they bring, actually delivers on track.

If I were to guess, they will bring something around Silverstone for their home race, potentially raising the bar.

I'm not assuming that Mclaren are a static target. Rear tire temperature management is a fundamental element which unlocks the setup window. That's why Mclaren can run a small rear wing here. They aren't worried about the rear tires overheating. It's a subtle point but an improvement in this area can be worth more than any aero package that Red Bull brought so far because it changes the way the team can setup the car that they already have.

Too fixated on rear wings and their looks imo. Mclaren advantage today is their downforce in 150-200kph range. All the time loss to Piastri come from three corners of that speed range, all three coming early into the lap - T1, T4 and T7. They gain time under braking in the last part of the braking (200-150) and under throttle in the same range - sing of higher downforce.
The rest of the lap Max matches them, that includes the straights and slow speed corners. Max even gained time on Piastri in the slow speed in the end of the lap in S3. Overheating was clearly not the issue, not for Red bull at least, probably for mClaren, haha.
Max was flat out everywhere though high speed, whereas Piastri lifted everywhere - T3, T9 and T14. Norris lifted even more. I doubt it is a matter of downforce. It's most likely just chassis stability, that affects driver's feel and confidence. Mclaren is such a little short car and driver might be feeling it less stable in such corners, and they of course have every reason to play it a bit more safely there anyway having an advantage elsewhere.
So, Mclaren basically have more downforce in the most important speed range and less drag, as they were a bit faster without the DRS (and even a touch faster with it), - all points at superiority at aerodynamics. And of course during the race it should only grow bigger as Max won't go flat out through high speed and of course DRS won't cover some of the deficits in drag of lesser cars.

[AR3-GP]

He was honest about the rest of qualifying: "It actually went pretty well. There was certainly no more in it. The balance was pretty good. I just can't go any faster. If I tried something, I had a little oversteer or a little understeer."

https://www.gptoday.net/nl/nieuws/f1/28 ... et-meer-in

[AR3-GP]

The forecast for tomorrow is cloud cover. That should reduce the track temperature. If not, then it will be similar to Miami.