2025 McLaren F1 Team

[kptaylor]

Does FP pace matter if RB has a "fresh" engine for Max ready to put in for qualifications? Hasn't that engine only seen one race?

[mwillems]

I dont think FP2 is representative, I just wanted to address something that was misrepresenting the performance. It was also explained by Stella that the Mercedes engines don't lose much pace over their life either, though he wasn't sure how it was for a Honda engine

[mwillems]

We have plenty of power on the straights, we just were starting from a slower speed. VMAX is as always, misrepresentative, because it is usually under DRS conditions. In this case, it only happens under one DRS zone that the RB is much faster at the end of the straight. The corner exits are most likely down to the setup and the way the car was driven, there was no lack of engine power. But there is a slightly different breaking profile into one of the high speeds, but again, this is not due to power, but due to the way the car is driven.

And you can see where Max lost two tenths due to unusual braking before the hairpin.



If Mclaren had faster exits from the corners, they would be gaining time on the straights vs the Red Bull.

[FittingMechanics]

We have plenty of power on the straights, we just were starting from a slower speed. VMAX is as always, misrepresentative, because it is usually under DRS conditions. In this case, it only happens under one DRS zone that the RB is much faster at the end of the straight. The corner exits are most likely down to the setup and the way the car was driven, there was no lack of engine power. But there is a slightly different breaking profile into one of the high speeds, but again, this is not due to power, but due to the way the car is driven.

And you can see where Max lost two tenths due to unusual braking before the hairpin.

https://ibb.co/3mjg8pg8

If Mclaren had faster exits from the corners, they would be gaining time on the straights vs the Red Bull.

That has to be some kind of a f1-tempo issue or racing line difference.

[FittingMechanics]

If you zoom in you can clearly see that Max gets on the throttle earlier, maybe because he takes a different line so if you compare by time you get big difference in speed but if you look at the trace you see their minimums are similar.

I'd attach the screenshots but it's hard on the phone.

[Emag]

We have plenty of power on the straights, we just were starting from a slower speed. VMAX is as always, misrepresentative, because it is usually under DRS conditions. In this case, it only happens under one DRS zone that the RB is much faster at the end of the straight. The corner exits are most likely down to the setup and the way the car was driven, there was no lack of engine power. But there is a slightly different breaking profile into one of the high speeds, but again, this is not due to power, but due to the way the car is driven.

And you can see where Max lost two tenths due to unusual braking before the hairpin.

https://ibb.co/3mjg8pg8

If Mclaren had faster exits from the corners, they would be gaining time on the straights vs the Red Bull.

That has to be some kind of a f1-tempo issue or racing line difference.

It is.

[mwillems]

We have plenty of power on the straights, we just were starting from a slower speed. VMAX is as always, misrepresentative, because it is usually under DRS conditions. In this case, it only happens under one DRS zone that the RB is much faster at the end of the straight. The corner exits are most likely down to the setup and the way the car was driven, there was no lack of engine power. But there is a slightly different breaking profile into one of the high speeds, but again, this is not due to power, but due to the way the car is driven.

And you can see where Max lost two tenths due to unusual braking before the hairpin.

https://ibb.co/3mjg8pg8

If Mclaren had faster exits from the corners, they would be gaining time on the straights vs the Red Bull.

That has to be some kind of a f1-tempo issue or racing line difference.

Theres nothing to suggest that is the case, and as I say, at the top of most straights we reach the same speeds, bar that one place where vmax occurs under DRS.

Whichever way you slice it. We aren't appearing to run detuned compared to RB.

[mwillems]

We have plenty of power on the straights, we just were starting from a slower speed. VMAX is as always, misrepresentative, because it is usually under DRS conditions. In this case, it only happens under one DRS zone that the RB is much faster at the end of the straight. The corner exits are most likely down to the setup and the way the car was driven, there was no lack of engine power. But there is a slightly different breaking profile into one of the high speeds, but again, this is not due to power, but due to the way the car is driven.

And you can see where Max lost two tenths due to unusual braking before the hairpin.

https://ibb.co/3mjg8pg8

If Mclaren had faster exits from the corners, they would be gaining time on the straights vs the Red Bull.

That has to be some kind of a f1-tempo issue or racing line difference.

It is.

https://ibb.co/XxQQSxzM

It doesnt matter lol

The cars are running the same pace at the straights bar the DRS zones. FP3 bore out the engine modes nonsense.

[Darth-Piekus]

Last qualifying of the season and last chance to get it right this time and finish with the double.

[101FlyingDutchman]

Was NOR on a used soft for 2nd run?

[Darth-Piekus]

Good question. They said new but it doesnt seem right.

[mwillems]

It'll be tight for pole, the biggest risk is getting stuck in a fight with Max.

He's got nothing to lose.

[renault rs26]

It'll be tight for pole, the biggest risk is getting stuck in a fight with Max.

He's got nothing to lose.

He has title to lose.

[mwillems]

It'll be tight for pole, the biggest risk is getting stuck in a fight with Max.

He's got nothing to lose.

He has title to lose.

Max doesnt have the title lead and needs to do an awful lot more.

Just finishing ahead isnt enough for Max.

It'd be almost safer to come in home behind Max.
If we get ahead in Q then T1 will be scary.
If we are behind then I have visions of Rosberg and Hamilton lol

[Szabi1112]

Its far not ideal. We have one run on a new softs, Max has 2….