2025 McLaren F1 Team

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VER was slowest: RBR used very low PU modes and a lot of fuel (slow in the fast corners)

Verstappen killed the tires and they completely changed the car afterwards. So I don't think power mode was much of a factor.

But yeah, looks like they did a race simulation, so an higher fuel than those practicing for the sprint, or something in between.

[mwillems]

Just reading more from Lando, he's pushed too hard, he says, and also suffered a lockup on his final lap.

[TeamKoolGreen]

Well there you go. Mclaren domination lasted for all of one weekend. Maybe the aggressive anti dive Isnt working with these long corners

[CjC]

Well there you go. Mclaren domination lasted for all of one weekend. Maybe the aggressive anti dive Isnt working with these long corners

Think Mark needs to fill you in with some of your blanks

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/over ... rk-hughes/

[Ben1980]

I can live with them being overconfident.

So many times were they called safe last year!

[SiLo]

Mclaren does look rapid, but also a bit of a handful.

[Emag]

It was pretty windy in Australia i think.

Not on the quali. Race was pretty windy yes. But qualifying here in China was 3-4 times more windy (3-4 m/s winds compared to 0.5-1.5). Which isn’t as much as it sounds because there was barely a breeze in Austrlia, however it might have been a factor in affecting driver confidence.

Lando tends to overdrive when he is under pressure. Sometimes it works out and you get great laps, but sometimes you get laps like today. The sprint format probably played a role too, because he had no time to go to the pits, study the telemetry, reset and go again.

We will see what their pace is on the sprint tomorrow, but to be honest the sprint quali today paints a picture similar to what I expected after testing.

Ferrari (and Max because Max is a beast on that RedBull) with good pace on quali, but McLaren having an edge on race trim. Lets see if it plays out that way tomorrow.

Yeah but there were no signs of it in the race. The car had more twitches in SQ than it did in drying and windy conditions. So im not convinced, but the wind could be a factor.


Also, the poster said a little bit of wind, hence my reply, it's definitely not that sensitive.


I just read the reports and Lando does mention a tailwind at the last corner, but the issues today were all over the track. But i think today was at least as much driver as car, and not helped by wind.

I'm sure they can get a better setup to give a more settled car, and that Lando will be on it.

Yeah but when there is pace in the car it's tough not to put it on the driver though. Being a sprint definitely impacts you, but Max was almost on pole with a car which looks so reluctant to rotate on S2 whereas Lewis put 2 tenths over one of F1's best qualifiers ever in his second race with a completely new car + engine.

Days like today are the reason why you shouldn't say things like "why do you talk only about the car, me and oscar deserve some credit too". It rubbed me the wrong way when I heard him say that on Australia (multiple times) and he is immediately forced to eat his words a week after.

No matter though, it's gone now and we got 70% of the weekend ahead of us. He can still redeem himself for today's blunders in SQ3.

[CjC]

Not on the quali. Race was pretty windy yes. But qualifying here in China was 3-4 times more windy (3-4 m/s winds compared to 0.5-1.5). Which isn’t as much as it sounds because there was barely a breeze in Austrlia, however it might have been a factor in affecting driver confidence.

Lando tends to overdrive when he is under pressure. Sometimes it works out and you get great laps, but sometimes you get laps like today. The sprint format probably played a role too, because he had no time to go to the pits, study the telemetry, reset and go again.

We will see what their pace is on the sprint tomorrow, but to be honest the sprint quali today paints a picture similar to what I expected after testing.

Ferrari (and Max because Max is a beast on that RedBull) with good pace on quali, but McLaren having an edge on race trim. Lets see if it plays out that way tomorrow.

Yeah but there were no signs of it in the race. The car had more twitches in SQ than it did in drying and windy conditions. So im not convinced, but the wind could be a factor.


Also, the poster said a little bit of wind, hence my reply, it's definitely not that sensitive.


I just read the reports and Lando does mention a tailwind at the last corner, but the issues today were all over the track. But i think today was at least as much driver as car, and not helped by wind.

I'm sure they can get a better setup to give a more settled car, and that Lando will be on it.

Yeah but when there is pace in the car it's tough not to put it on the driver though. Being a sprint definitely impacts you, but Max was almost on pole with a car which looks so reluctant to rotate on S2 whereas Lewis put 2 tenths over one of F1's best qualifiers ever in his second race with a completely new car + engine.

Days like today are the reason why you shouldn't say things like "why do you talk only about the car, me and oscar deserve some credit too". It rubbed me the wrong way when I heard him say that on Australia (multiple times) and he is immediately forced to eat his words a week after.

No matter though, it's gone now and we got 70% of the weekend ahead of us. He can still redeem himself for today's blunders in SQ3.

I winced when I heard that he said that in Australia too, I was going to comment on one of your posts a week ago but couldn’t muster how I wanted to word it so here goes a week later

I think the problem with Lando sometimes is he ‘answers the question too much’ and ends up digging himself a hole.
He seems so adamant that the McLaren isn’t vastly superior to the other cars that when asked by the interviewer ‘your car seems to have a 4ths advantage’ he’s gets all defensive and says his fellow drivers made mistakes and didn’t do as good of a job as they should and the gap should be smaller it’s akin to what Verstappen said today about how the Red Bull shouldn’t be on the front row.

As for Lando he should make his answers simpler or he’ll keep tripping himself up like in after the race in Brazil last season and after quali in Australia last week

[geogate]

I really dont see why it matters - if he wants to tell it as he sees it, thats up to him. Its not like he didnt put his hand up to making mistakes himself today

[TeamKoolGreen]

Not on the
Land.

I'm sure they can get a better setup to give a more settled car, and that Lando will be on it.

Yeah but when there is pace in the car it's tough not to put it on the driver though. Being a sprint definitely impacts you, but Max was almost on pole with a car which looks so reluctant to rotate on S2 whereas Lewis put 2 tenths over one of F1's best qualifiers ever in his second race with a completely new car + engine.

Days like today are the reason why you shouldn't say things like "why do you talk only about the car, me and oscar deserve some credit too". It rubbed me the wrong way when I heard him say that on Australia (multiple times) and he is immediately forced to eat his words a week after.

No matter though, it's gone now and we got 70% of the weekend ahead of us. He can still redeem himself for today's blunders in SQ3.

Pretty obvious that Piastri was fighting the car too. Fighting it worse since he got even less out of it

Everyone likes to talk down to Lando while giving Piastri a pass. But when Piastri has a weekend where he out qualifies Lando , we will hear that the downfall of Lando is near

[mwillems]

If it was driver error and not the car , then why didn't Piastri qualify ahead of Norris ? Pretty obvious that Piastri was fighting the car too. Fighting it worse since he got even less out of it

Everyone likes to talk down to Lando while giving Piastri a pass. But when Piastri has a weekend where he out qualifies Lando , we will hear that the downfall of Lando is near

He did.

As soon as someone says Lando didn't perform well both sides descend into.polemics, it's so unhelpful.

[TeamKoolGreen]

If it was driver error and not the car , then why didn't Piastri qualify ahead of Norris ? Pretty obvious that Piastri was fighting the car too. Fighting it worse since he got even less out of it

Everyone likes to talk down to Lando while giving Piastri a pass. But when Piastri has a weekend where he out qualifies Lando , we will hear that the downfall of Lando is near

He did.

As soon as someone says Lando didn't perform well both sides descend into.polemics, it's so unhelpful.

My mistake. I was avoiding twitter for all the cringey coverage of hamilton for getting a sprint pole.

But if the Mclaren is that much faster than the field allegedly , why didn't Piastri get the pole
(i personally think the Mclaren speed and domination narrative is way over blown)

[mwillems]

If it was driver error and not the car , then why didn't Piastri qualify ahead of Norris ? Pretty obvious that Piastri was fighting the car too. Fighting it worse since he got even less out of it

Everyone likes to talk down to Lando while giving Piastri a pass. But when Piastri has a weekend where he out qualifies Lando , we will hear that the downfall of Lando is near

He did.

As soon as someone says Lando didn't perform well both sides descend into.polemics, it's so unhelpful.

My mistake. I was avoiding twitter for all the cringey coverage of hamilton for getting a sprint pole.

But if the Mclaren is that much faster than the field allegedly , why didn't Piastri get the pole
(i personally think the Mclaren speed and domination narrative is way over blown)

Because they tried to run twice, didn't cool the tyres properly and Oscar got his fast run on a slower track with more fuel. The fuel alone was worth pole, and because Lando messed up both SQ3 laps.

I think we should have been 3 to 4 tenths quicker than Lewis. It's one of those things.

I won't be getting frustrated until this becomes a repeating pattern this season. Benefit of the doubt and all that jazz.

Like I said many posts ago, twice...

The setup may be problematic as they often aren't dialled in fully in a sprint qualifier, and because it's just race 2 so they are learning the car, because sprint isn't a big deal and because tomorrow i think they push on and fight in the race, and get it right for Qualifying.

If qualifying goes wrong, then I'll wait until emag has dealt with his anger before I join the thread

[CjC]

If it was driver error and not the car , then why didn't Piastri qualify ahead of Norris ? Pretty obvious that Piastri was fighting the car too. Fighting it worse since he got even less out of it

Everyone likes to talk down to Lando while giving Piastri a pass. But when Piastri has a weekend where he out qualifies Lando , we will hear that the downfall of Lando is near

He did.

As soon as someone says Lando didn't perform well both sides descend into.polemics, it's so unhelpful.

My mistake. I was avoiding twitter for all the cringey coverage of hamilton for getting a sprint pole.

But if the Mclaren is that much faster than the field allegedly , why didn't Piastri get the pole
(i personally think the Mclaren speed and domination narrative is way over blown)

Read the link I replied to your post with. Mark Hughes explains why McLaren aren’t on pole

[Darth-Piekus]

So Lando screwed himself a little more but at least he got a point and still has the lead. Oscar saved the day to at least pass Max. On another note cant help but admire Hamilton for that masterclass driving.