2025 McLaren F1 Team

[Badger]

So as long as you maintain a sliver of plausible deniability when you are engaging in shenanigans, it’s as if it never happened?

Maybe you feel that way, but I don’t think RB should pretend like Lando is some rube who can be warned 5 times over the radio there’s someone coming and still ends up getting in the way at the worst place possible, on one of the more important laps of the year.

Lando played the game, RB can play it too.

Please stop twisting it. I did not say you are fine if you maintain a sliver of plausible deniability. If Norris impeded Norris, even with "deniability" he should have been penalized. To my eye on one video I watched it did not look that it was impeding but I could be wrong.

What Red Bull did here is not comparable in any way. It is petty, unsportsmanlike and clearly intentional.

If you believe that Norris did what he did intentionally there’s no moral difference. I believe it was intentional, after watching the onboard with comms it just seemed naive to pretend otherwise. We know RB feels the same way. You may not feel that way, but we all act according to our own beliefs. Either way, I accept that Lando’s impeding didn’t rise to the formal level required for a penalty, the same way you should accept that there’s no rule prohibiting another team from removing McLaren’s driver aid tape from the pit wall.

I’ll leave it there.

[Farnborough]

"Sneaky. I would call it sneaky.
It is not their wall or their premises. I would also remove it. The comparisons here to pit box markings are nonsense, they just slapped grey tape somewhere on the marketing banner on the main straight.

What I did not get: Was it now really removed or are we discussing nonsense?"

I see it the same. If anyone has heard the stories from mechanics of any team, will know that this type of stuff happens regularly. They're a competitive bunch and take opportunity to joke with others if the chance presents itself.
It's further likely that another team was "encouraging" the prompt closure by the marshal in order to hang the perpetrator out to dry ... for their own amusement.
It really isn't worthy of serious discussion some on here will try to make it.

[FittingMechanics]

So if they moved the marker forward and Lando got a penalty, that would be fine?

It may be silly, but it was not just messing around, it could have had real consequences.

[organic]

So if they moved the marker forward and Lando got a penalty, that would be fine?

It may be silly, but it was not just messing around, it could have had real consequences.

Using tape on the side is not protected by the rules so it's up to McLaren to take that risk of they want to. They've got full knowledge that it could be tampered with legally. McLaren have found a way for Norris to be more consistent with starts and for this performance benefit they're weighing that up against the possibility of consequences

[SilviuAgo]

Considering that we missed the sprint, the pace was reasonable good.





And for those that said Lando had a poor start, considering he was on the dirty side and with mediums vs Leclerc's softs, the outcome in T1-T2 was not something extraordinary. I am happy he was not playing hero and to have a second race finished in the same place.



What was not ok but we all somehow are surprised if is not happening is the PitStop. If for Oscar was an ok 2.3, Lando this time was the one picking the short stick, with 3.8. Enormous if you compare with Ferrari who is the benchmark for this year. So seems McLaren is not capable at this moment to have two reasonable pitstops in one race.

[Emag]

If they want to win this championship they have to be like Max last year.

Firstly and most importantly. Be there. Oscar isn’t winning anything if he performs like this last weekend.

And secondly, they need to be agressive with Max like he was with Lando in Austin and Mexico. Go for make or break moves basically. He is at a disadvantage if they crash so make him either accept a compromise, or crash out.

If they cant do that, Max will win, because RedBull will not be at a pace disadvantage anymore this season.

[rbirules]

If they want to win this championship they have to be like Max last year.

Firstly and most importantly. Be there. Oscar isn’t winning anything if he performs like this last weekend.

And secondly, they need to be agressive with Max like he was with Lando in Austin and Mexico. Go for make or break moves basically. He is at a disadvantage if they crash so make him either accept a compromise, or crash out.

If they cant do that, Max will win, because RedBull will not be at a pace disadvantage anymore this season.

This doesn't make any sense, to me at least, and your pronoun choice of "they" is very revealing. It seems you are looking at this as a McLaren fan that is (perhaps) ambivalent as to which of the McLaren drivers wins the WDC (win either way for you). McLaren have won the WCC, the team competition is over. It's now a race to see who wins the WDC and I guarantee you both McLaren drivers desperately want to win what they have been dreaming about for their whole racing lives.

If either McLaren driver takes themselves out along with Max they are handing the WDC to their teammate, or at least giving them a huge leg up in that race. At this point both McLaren drivers have far more to lose than Max does (long shot at the WDC). This isn't like last year where Max was defending against a single (somewhat long shot) competitor in Lando and could risk hurting his result as long as it also hurt Lando.

[PierreW]

If they want to win this championship they have to be like Max last year.

Firstly and most importantly. Be there. Oscar isn’t winning anything if he performs like this last weekend.

And secondly, they need to be agressive with Max like he was with Lando in Austin and Mexico. Go for make or break moves basically. He is at a disadvantage if they crash so make him either accept a compromise, or crash out.

If they cant do that, Max will win, because RedBull will not be at a pace disadvantage anymore this season.

This doesn't make any sense, to me at least, and your pronoun choice of "they" is very revealing. It seems you are looking at this as a McLaren fan that is (perhaps) ambivalent as to which of the McLaren drivers wins the WDC (win either way for you). McLaren have won the WCC, the team competition is over. It's now a race to see who wins the WDC and I guarantee you both McLaren driver desperately want to win what they have been dreaming about for their whole racing lives.

If either McLaren driver takes themselves out along with Max they are handing the WDC to their teammate, or at least giving them a huge leg up in that race. At this point both McLaren drivers have far more to lose than Max does (long shot at the WDC). This isn't like last year where Max was defending against a single (somewhat long shot) competitor in Lando and could risk hurting his result as long as it also hurt Lando.

Yes, at this point I don't see any indication that one of the McLaren driver would sacrifice their own chance to win the title in order to counter the outsider Max Verstappen. Both have points advantages and should believe they can manage it until the remaining of the season.

I would not even be surprised if they secretely wouldn't be too upset if Max wins rather than their teammate.

[erikejw]

Lando Norris marking to help him place the car correctly was still there at the start.

I wonder how they got the R Bull mechanic to confess he was about to remove the stripe since it never happened.

Regardless I do enjoy the 2/3- way fight for the Championship. It adds some nerve after too many Championships decided early.

Kudos for McLaren to let the drivers fight for the WDC (within well defined boundarys).

I enjoy some shenanigans, trying to get into each others head, that's how sport should be.

May the best driver win.

[pantherxxx]

"Considering that we missed the sprint, the pace was reasonable good."

Well not Oscar's pace, that was horrible. And Verstappen was managing his pace, he didn't really push.

[Avocado]

Tell us your predictions.

Mexican GP
Sao Paulo GP
Las Vegas GP
Qatar GP
Abu Dhabi GP

[Emag]

If they want to win this championship they have to be like Max last year.

Firstly and most importantly. Be there. Oscar isn’t winning anything if he performs like this last weekend.

And secondly, they need to be agressive with Max like he was with Lando in Austin and Mexico. Go for make or break moves basically. He is at a disadvantage if they crash so make him either accept a compromise, or crash out.

If they cant do that, Max will win, because RedBull will not be at a pace disadvantage anymore this season.

This doesn't make any sense, to me at least, and your pronoun choice of "they" is very revealing. It seems you are looking at this as a McLaren fan that is (perhaps) ambivalent as to which of the McLaren drivers wins the WDC (win either way for you). McLaren have won the WCC, the team competition is over. It's now a race to see who wins the WDC and I guarantee you both McLaren drivers desperately want to win what they have been dreaming about for their whole racing lives.

If either McLaren driver takes themselves out along with Max they are handing the WDC to their teammate, or at least giving them a huge leg up in that race. At this point both McLaren drivers have far more to lose than Max does (long shot at the WDC). This isn't like last year where Max was defending against a single (somewhat long shot) competitor in Lando and could risk hurting his result as long as it also hurt Lando.

This is the McLaren team thread. So yes, I refer to they as in the team. The team shouldn’t give a damn who wins the WDC as long as its one of their drivers.

And I don’t think they will just let Max roll with it, because they all lose. Max most of all, because for Max it doesnt matter with who he makes contact. He needs points against both of them so either way he is screwed.

So yeah, two can play that game. If they’re scared of Max, he will eat them alive. Max would be the winner of possibly the most impressive wdc of the sport, and both of them will be known as the ultimate fumble drivers of what was a dominant car for a good part of the season. I personally would like to go out fighting rather than concede and be remembered as a wimp.

[SilviuAgo]

"Considering that we missed the sprint, the pace was reasonable good."

Well not Oscar's pace, that was horrible. And Verstappen was managing his pace, he didn't really push.

Horrible if you compare him to Max or Lando, but he still had 4th race pace. Was a weekend to forget for Oscar but could have been worst. and yes Max was managing but also Lando was stuck almost entire race behind Leclerc.
https://www.planetf1.com/news/mclaren-a ... grand-prix

Any news on McLaren program to give rookie time in FP's? I think after Dunne saga, that Pato will be in Oscar and Lando's car in Mexico maybe or Abu Dhabi.
https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-verst ... ial-junior

[SilviuAgo]

Tell us your predictions.

Mexican GP
Sao Paulo GP
Las Vegas GP
Qatar GP
Abu Dhabi GP

Just for fun
Mexican GP Lando - Max - Oscar
Sao Paulo GP Max - Oscar - Lando
Las Vegas GP Max - Oscar - Lando
Qatar GP Oscar - Lando - Max
Abu Dhabi GP Lando - Max - Oscar

[Darth-Piekus]

So if they moved the marker forward and Lando got a penalty, that would be fine?

It may be silly, but it was not just messing around, it could have had real consequences.

So basically what you are saying is that it was an attempt to commit fraud.