2025 McLaren F1 Team

[f1isgood]

After qualifying the team should have known the limits of their ride height. No one else in the top four teams got it wrong, so they definitely should have known. It was the perfect weekend to take an grid penalty and start from last and get good points. Even if circumstances themselves allow it, McLaren seem to be unable to take advantage of it. Norris getting some points is always better than zero.

[Mcl_G10]

25pt gain and huge encouragement for max and redbull.

Its going to get real tight and go down to the wire I feel.

[the EDGE]

After qualifying the team should have known the limits of their ride height. No one else in the top four teams got it wrong, so they definitely should have known. It was the perfect weekend to take an grid penalty and start from last and get good points. Even if circumstances themselves allow it, McLaren seem to be unable to take advantage of it. Norris getting some points is always better than zero.

Not necessarily, the wets & inters have a slightly greater diameter than slick tyres

[maxxer]

After qualifying the team should have known the limits of their ride height. No one else in the top four teams got it wrong, so they definitely should have known. It was the perfect weekend to take an grid penalty and start from last and get good points. Even if circumstances themselves allow it, McLaren seem to be unable to take advantage of it. Norris getting some points is always better than zero.

Not necessarily, the wets & inters have a slightly greater diameter than slick tyres

Yes yesterday ham got a 100 Eu fine for driving 80.1km/h in the pitlane the commentators mentioned the diameter of the inters being slighty larger. And that the pit limiter has to be adjusted for that difference.
Seems ride height comes into consideration also then. Wonder if Mclaren knew that, but with parc ferme they couldnt do much anyway for today anymore

[Jambier]

Norris needs to be a real champion and stay calm.

If no crazy thing happens championship is still very much on his hands

Two next races will be dry, so basically avoiding a crash or a mechanical failure

[f1isgood]

After qualifying the team should have known the limits of their ride height. No one else in the top four teams got it wrong, so they definitely should have known. It was the perfect weekend to take an grid penalty and start from last and get good points. Even if circumstances themselves allow it, McLaren seem to be unable to take advantage of it. Norris getting some points is always better than zero.

Not necessarily, the wets & inters have a slightly greater diameter than slick tyres

You account for all that and then do your calculations obviously. The conditions were the same for everyone. If you were unsure why would you go all in? Clearly they thought they did it all perfectly and got slapped with a double DSQ.

[WardenOfTheNorth]

I wonder whether their calculations allowed for a full Safety Car period, or more VSC’s?

Either way, I think this circuit was an outlier. They haven’t suddenly forgotten how to work out ride height etc. Qatar should be straight forward for them. Hopefully Lando can outscore Max and we can all relax a bit!!

[venkyhere]

Guys, below is a fascinating sequence of radio messages b/w both Mclaren drivers with their respective engineers :

https://www.racefans.net/2025/11/23/the ... -the-race/

The team knew the plankwear issue right from the start, it wasn't as if they discovered it late in the final stint and pressed the panic button. This was a calculated risk they took even before setting up the car for Q. Most probably they expected Mercedes and Max to not have the pace they showed in the race today, and felt that even with LiCo the McL39 would have enough advantage to win. Operationally, they didn't have to do this for Norris, even if he finished P3 or P4, he would have had enough cushion in the WDC standings. Earlier, I thought the ride height choice was an 'unintentional calculation mistake' that they discovered late into the race ; now I know this was an 'intentional calculated gamble' they made. Probably apt for LasVegas. No wonder Norris was looking pale-faced in the post-race interviews & press conference - he was praying that he had done enough, so as to not have 'what was coming'.

[SilviuAgo]

Guys, below is a fascinating sequence of radio messages b/w both Mclaren drivers with their respective engineers :

Is a joke or you forgot the attachments?

[TFSA]

Yes yesterday ham got a 100 Eu fine for driving 80.1km/h in the pitlane the commentators mentioned the diameter of the inters being slighty larger. And that the pit limiter has to be adjusted for that difference.
Seems ride height comes into consideration also then. Wonder if Mclaren knew that, but with parc ferme they couldnt do much anyway for today anymore

That is completely unrelated to ride height. That's about tire circumference. A cars speed is calculated based upon the rotation of the wheels - but that needs to take the tire circumference into account. If a tire has a larger circumference, then one rotation will equal more distance traveled. That's what you calibrate for.

Has nothing to do with ride height.

[AR3-GP]

Guys, below is a fascinating sequence of radio messages b/w both Mclaren drivers with their respective engineers :

https://www.racefans.net/2025/11/23/the ... -the-race/

The team knew the plankwear issue right from the start, it wasn't as if they discovered it late in the final stint and pressed the panic button. This was a calculated risk they took even before setting up the car for Q. Most probably they expected Mercedes and Max to not have the pace they showed in the race today, and felt that even with LiCo the McL39 would have enough advantage to win. Operationally, they didn't have to do this for Norris, even if he finished P3 or P4, he would have had enough cushion in the WDC standings. Earlier, I thought the ride height choice was an 'unintentional calculation mistake' that they discovered late into the race ; now I know this was an 'intentional calculated gamble' they made. Probably apt for LasVegas. No wonder Norris was looking pale-faced in the post-race interviews & press conference - he was praying that he had done enough, so as to not have 'what was coming'.

This sequence is especially odd

[maxxer]

Yes yesterday ham got a 100 Eu fine for driving 80.1km/h in the pitlane the commentators mentioned the diameter of the inters being slighty larger. And that the pit limiter has to be adjusted for that difference.
Seems ride height comes into consideration also then. Wonder if Mclaren knew that, but with parc ferme they couldnt do much anyway for today anymore

That is completely unrelated to ride height. That's about tire circumference. A cars speed is calculated based upon the rotation of the wheels - but that needs to take the tire circumference into account. If a tire has a larger circumference, then one rotation will equal more distance traveled. That's what you calibrate for.

Has nothing to do with ride height.

Sorry dude , if the diameter of the tyre is larger the car sits higher , look at spa when because of tyre wear the car sits lower and wears out the plank more.

[kptaylor]

Exactly! If the wets/inters are taller and they set up ride height based upon those tires (planning for rain), then with slicks the car would be slightly lower which could wear the plank more than planned.

[TFSA]

Sorry dude , if the diameter of the tyre is larger the car sits higher , look at spa when because of tyre wear the car sits lower and wears out the plank more.

You were talking about Hamiltons penalty for exceeding the pit lane speed limit and said (quote) "Seems ride height comes into consideration also then" in relation to the pit limiter.

The pit limiter has nothing to do with ride height. It's purely a calibration of tire rotational speed and circumference. It doesn't care one iota about ride height.

Tire diameter obviously matters in relation to ride height and skid wear. But it has nothing to do with Hamilton, which you were talking about. So i was merely correcting you.

[maxxer]

Sorry dude , if the diameter of the tyre is larger the car sits higher , look at spa when because of tyre wear the car sits lower and wears out the plank more.

You were talking about Hamiltons penalty for exceeding the pit lane speed limit and said (quote) "Seems ride height comes into consideration also then" in relation to the pit limiter.

The pit limiter has nothing to do with ride height. It's purely a calibration of tire rotational speed and circumference. It doesn't care one iota about ride height.

Tire diameter obviously matters in relation to ride height and skid wear. But it has nothing to do with Hamilton, which you were talking about. So i was merely correcting you.

sorry if i steped on your toes there , my point was clear that the diameter also means a change in ride height.
Very sorry for not making that clear.