2025 McLaren F1 Team

[mwillems]

I think this track is full of compromises for the Mclaren but I still don't understand why Oscar was Majestic in the last two turns and struggled everywhere else. Did he not get his tyres up to temp? Was he saving the tyres? (Don't think so, deg was low) or was it just that the car was tricky? The telemetry suggests he was struggling to find grip on entry.

It just seems that the setup for this track doesn't work. Venky mentioned ride height. I'd add suspension softness into the mix too.

[CjC]

Lando thinks Verstappen has the best race pace

That's because in FP2, he did, discounting outliers. I know people put Russell as the fastest car after FP2, but removing traffic affected laps, Max was flying.

McLaren's battle should be with Russell, I think RedBull has this in the bag actually. They have been the ultimate practice sandbaggers the entire season, yet people are still surprised to see Max on the fight for pole every race somehow.

I probably wont be able to see the race tomorrow, which is a shame because it looks like it should be a good one. Not surprised at all with Lando's performance in Q3. He barely puts a lap together when he is comfortable, let alone on a weekend where he has been going off every other lap since FP1. At least he made it out of Q1.

Gotta hurt to have his teammate fastest in S3 of all places. That's where Oscar had a moment in FP3 yet it did nothing to his confidence. Speaking of which, strategy could play a big role tomorrow and Oscar can still win it, but on pace alone, Max is really strong and it will be difficult to overtake him on-track. Mercedes is a bit of a question mark, but I expect them to have the worst deg, so if an overtake doesn't happen at the start, George will probably be vulnerable later on the stint.

I actually thought Lando had the best race pace in FP2 but looking at the live timing again and concentrating on Max’s times I agree- he is rapid.

Reading what Lando said post quali:

“It's just very low grip. That is one of the bigger things. And therefore the car balance just never comes together as much as what it does on other tracks, and some of the kerb-riding and bumps, which just hurts us, it seems, more than some others.”

I have a feeling the car will gradually come alive halfway through the race as the rubber goes down (similar to races last season) but they, especially Lando will probably be too far behind to collect the main prizes.

Credit:
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/norri ... /10732902/

[mwillems]

I don't think FP2 will be representative of our race pace, given that we seemed to improve the setup going into Q. It'll still be a fight, and we may not be the fastest, but the track will be more rubbered in, the car was more dialled in come Q. Let's see. I reckon we're in the mix today.

[Ben1980]

I'd make Max favourite. I'd think Oscar 2nd, Lando 3rd. Is potential. Though, Merc have upgraded so this could be a different race for them.

[CjC]

Fairly conclusive that the new suspension is a performance part:

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/mcla ... tle-fight/

I’m not surprised that Oscar has elected to not take it considering he’s leading the WDC and Lando has as it’s perceived to be that he is ‘struggling’

[FittingMechanics]

I'm late to the party but to me it seemed that the team was fastest on softs (of all cars) or at least it was within luck factor (I remember that Max was P1 after first run in Q3).

But the fact they used mediums for the last run skews the results. I am still optimistic for the race.

[kurtj]

No driver under performs in Q3 more than Lando, not good enough at all.

Honestly didn’t expect Norris to be so far down, thought he had the handle on Oscar this weekend

Except for Monaco, Lando has been trash in Q3 all of this season. Not a worthy driver to be driving the MCL39.

[MTudor]

Lando's never going to be a WDC!!!

[CjC]

I’ve been saying this- along with others, Lando just needs to click it back a notch in Q3. Now Stella is saying it in the media:

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/stell ... /10732981/

His Q2 runs on used softs were exemplary.
Stella suggests Lando was fast enough to be on pole but over did it.

Make what you want of it. The haters are gonna hate note the 2 previous posters before me. I try to be optimistic- Stella still thinks the car was fast enough for pole whilst the car couldn’t be set up in its peak window

[McL-H]

We now have a clear number 1 driver in the team that is Piastri. Lando is the number 2. The team should operate like this for the remainder of the season. Lando should drive in service of Piastri and try again next season.

[mwillems]

Fairly conclusive that the new suspension is a performance part:

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/mcla ... tle-fight/

I’m not surprised that Oscar has elected to not take it considering he’s leading the WDC and Lando has as it’s perceived to be that he is ‘struggling’

He said that at this track he wanted consistency, given the problems they are experiencing in Canada. That felt more important to him.

[JoeE]

We now have a clear number 1 driver in the team that is Piastri. Lando is the number 2. The team should operate like this for the remainder of the season. Lando should drive in service of Piastri and try again next season.

I wouldn’t be so quick to say Piastri’s the number one. Lando’s made a few mistakes, sure, but he’s still outscored the lot of them over the last few races. The man's been flying when he’s on it. There's still over 400 points up for grabs — we’re only halfway through the season, and there's just 10 points between them.

Would be daft to shove him into a support role now. You don’t clip a driver's wings when he’s still well in the fight. Let them both race, push each other, and we’ll see who’s ahead when it really matters.

If every F1 driver was a perfect example of a human, it wouldn't be worth watching.

[Ben1980]

We now have a clear number 1 driver in the team that is Piastri. Lando is the number 2. The team should operate like this for the remainder of the season. Lando should drive in service of Piastri and try again next season.

Eh?

Not a hope, and im guessing, as per last years chat, not going to be enforceable due to contracts. But, 10 points difference in 8 (9?) Races isn't enough to go on.

[CjC]

Past 4 GPs:
Oscar 80 points finished twice in the top 2
Lando 79 points finished 4 times in the top 2

There is no evidence of a clear number 1 driver who is performing better than the other

[mwillems]

That we have a number 1 driver is nonsense. They are still close in the table, of course there isn't a number one driver. Oscar has had his issues and was unfortunate to get beached at Australia where others didn't. But even so no one will be number 1 until it is mathematically impossible for one to win the title.

I think it was their way of stating they think that Oscar is the better driver.

He's got a lot of work to do to be de facto number one and he's not even close to that yet, don't think he'll ever got to Max' level either so I don't think the gap between Lando and Oscar will ever be big enough to merit that title.