2025 McLaren F1 Team

[SoulPancake13]

I swear some F1 fans bend over backwards to hate on Norris. He said nothing wrong... he's said that the car is very good in public before but he is now just saying it is not as dominant as Max says it is. How is that throwing your team under the bus?

[Cs98]

He did not call it crap. If you put words in his mouth that he did not say, then obviously you're going to think that.
Max implied the car is multiple tenths faster than what Oscar and Lando have shown by saying he would sail in the distance if he was driving the McLaren. Lando just turned it back at him by saying he would be disappointed after jumping out of the car and seeing that it's not in fact that much faster like he thinks it is. It doesn't matter if it's true or not, it's all pure speculation anyway. You don't know how Max would do at McLaren. You can make assumptions, but without him actually driving it, you will never know for sure. Max made assumptions and Lando is also making counter-assumptions, if that's a thing.

In no way is he insulting his team. He is only putting down what Max said.
But of course, Max is allowed to sh*t on every other driver on the grid publicly with no expectation of any of them talking back ...

Yeah, because he backs up the talk.

So? Just because I am good at something, it doesn't give me the right to call everyone who is worse than me at that thing incompetent. That just makes one a pretentious douche.

I don't see why Lando is the bad guy here for replying to a direct insult to him and his teammate.

Speaking of putting words in people's mouth, something Verstappen never said nor even implied. But one standard for me, one standard for thee

This is run of the mill media trash talk, applying pressure to the other guy. I don't take issue with either of their comments, I just think Max is closer to the truth than Lando in this case. His point is basically that he is the best driver and that the McLaren is the best car, I don't think either is particularly controversial at the moment. Lando's point is that the car isn't as good as it seems, which I'm not sure I agree with.

[Emag]

Yeah, because he backs up the talk.

So? Just because I am good at something, it doesn't give me the right to call everyone who is worse than me at that thing incompetent. That just makes one a pretentious douche.

I don't see why Lando is the bad guy here for replying to a direct insult to him and his teammate.

Speaking of putting words in people's mouth, something Verstappen never said nor even implied. But one standard for me, one standard for thee

This is run of the mill media talk, applying pressure to the other guy. I don't take issue with either of their comments, I just think Max is closer to the truth than Lando in this case. His point is basically that he is the best driver and that the McLaren is the best car, I don't think either is particularly controversial at the moment. Lando's point is that the car isn't as good as it seems, which I'm not sure I agree with.

Sorry but there is no sugar coating Max's statement. He is straight up saying Lando and Oscar can't drive the McLaren to its full potential and that they're leaving a lot of time on the table.

As for your second statement. There is no proof to support your claim. The car is always as fast as the best time either of the drivers gets out of it. Everything other than that is pure conjecture. What if I told you Mercedes is actually the best car by a country mile, but neither George or Kimi are good enough to put it where it belongs? What if I told you Alonso would be faster than Max at Suzuka?

They are all equal presumptions based on what your personal opinions are on each driver's capabilities.

My point still stands though. Max being the best doesn't mean he can insult other drivers without expecting a reaction. I also think it's really hypocritical for people who previously called Lando mentally weak, unable to stand up to Max, to do a full 180 now that he is defending himself for once.

[mwillems]

It's just the normal mind games, if Max didn't do it he wouldn't be doing his job.

And he's right, you did say Max said our drivers were incompetent, which he didn't.

At the end of the day every driver thinks they are faster than the others. Max was sh*tting on no one, just saying what most drivers believe.

It'll happen all season long as we have the target on our back.

The reaction to this is quite ridiculous.

[Emag]

It's just the normal mind games, if Max didn't do it he wouldn't be doing his job.

And he's right, you did say Max said our drivers were incompetent, which he didn't.

At the end of the day every driver thinks they are faster than the others. Max was sh*tting on no one, just saying what most drivers believe.

It'll happen all season long as we have the target on our back.

The reaction to this is quite ridiculous.

Right he didn't. *wink* *wink* *nudge* *nudge*

What kind of conclusion you draw from someone saying : "If I was driving your car, you wouldn't even see me in the race"?
I agree the reaction is ridiculous. Because Lando didn't do anything wrong but defend himself.

[mwillems]

It's just the normal mind games, if Max didn't do it he wouldn't be doing his job.

And he's right, you did say Max said our drivers were incompetent, which he didn't.

At the end of the day every driver thinks they are faster than the others. Max was sh*tting on no one, just saying what most drivers believe.

It'll happen all season long as we have the target on our back.

The reaction to this is quite ridiculous.

Right he didn't. *wink* *wink* *nudge* *nudge*

What kind of conclusion you draw from someone saying : "If I was driving your car, you wouldn't even see me in the race"?
I agree the reaction is ridiculous. Because Lando didn't do anything wrong but defend himself.

He just didn't though. He's saying he's faster than our boys. Every driver fighting for a title should have that attitude.

Obviously Lando can't comment about driving faster in the Red Bull though since he already declined to take on Max in the same machinery.

Something that Max is well aware of whilst he has his fun in the media

[Cs98]

So? Just because I am good at something, it doesn't give me the right to call everyone who is worse than me at that thing incompetent. That just makes one a pretentious douche.

I don't see why Lando is the bad guy here for replying to a direct insult to him and his teammate.

Speaking of putting words in people's mouth, something Verstappen never said nor even implied. But one standard for me, one standard for thee

This is run of the mill media talk, applying pressure to the other guy. I don't take issue with either of their comments, I just think Max is closer to the truth than Lando in this case. His point is basically that he is the best driver and that the McLaren is the best car, I don't think either is particularly controversial at the moment. Lando's point is that the car isn't as good as it seems, which I'm not sure I agree with.

Sorry but there is no sugar coating Max's statement. He is straight up saying Lando and Oscar can't drive the McLaren to its full potential and that they're leaving a lot of time on the table.

As for your second statement. There is no proof to support your claim. The car is always as fast as the best time either of the drivers gets out of it. Everything other than that is pure conjecture. What if I told you Mercedes is actually the best car by a country mile, but neither George or Kimi are good enough to put it where it belongs? What if I told you Alonso would be faster than Max at Suzuka?

They are all equal presumptions based on what your personal opinions are on each driver's capabilities.

My point still stands though. Max being the best doesn't mean he can insult other drivers without expecting a reaction. I also think it's really hypocritical for people who previously called Lando mentally weak, unable to stand up to Max, to do a full 180 now that he is defending himself for once.

Sorry but you just straight up invented a quote that isn't real, right after you complained about someone putting words in Lando's mouth. Hold yourself to the same standard and stop accusing others of hypocrisy.

[Emag]

Sorry but you just straight up invented a quote that isn't real, right after you complained about someone putting words in Lando's mouth. Hold yourself to the same standard and stop accusing others of hypocrisy.

[Ben1980]

When will people realise not to take anything, almost every driver says seriously. On the radio or in interviews.

Just treat it as the usually playful nonsense that it is.

[Macklaren]

on that note, let's switch back to more relevant topics.
Anything to read into FP1 or completely unrepresentative? surprised the team didn't put in a rookie driver like the others? maybe no one else avail with Pato busy?

[Macklaren]

Looking pretty dominant after FP2 in both the short and the long runs. More to come overnight as well, I'm sure. Let's hope no SC or variable to ruin it in the race

[AR3-GP]

I swear some F1 fans bend over backwards to hate on Norris. He said nothing wrong... he's said that the car is very good in public before but he is now just saying it is not as dominant as Max says it is.

Aged like milk.

[mwillems]

I swear some F1 fans bend over backwards to hate on Norris. He said nothing wrong... he's said that the car is very good in public before but he is now just saying it is not as dominant as Max says it is.

Aged like milk.

You don't like cheese?

[Emag]

Another thing to note, is that all races so far have had really low temps, which helps the deg of pretty much all cars, possibly nullifying whatever edge McLaren may have in that regard.
The last competitive session with track temps of ~40 degrees, was Australia Q3 and they were on pole by almost 4 tenths, with pretty much all of that difference made on 4 corners due to better tire condition at the end of the lap. So Bahrain will be interesting in this regard as well because it's gonna be really hot. If McLaren pulls the same sort of gap on everyone at S3 there, then that would kind of confirm a pattern.

So far, this has turned out to be true, but I will reserve judgement until after quali and the race.
Nobody seems to be able to hold onto peak tire performance in the last sector, but this time around, differently than Australia, they're also really fast in the middle sector.

[SoulPancake13]

I swear some F1 fans bend over backwards to hate on Norris. He said nothing wrong... he's said that the car is very good in public before but he is now just saying it is not as dominant as Max says it is.

Aged like milk.

Again, I see nothing wrong with the quote even though it looks like McLaren are indeed dominant here. McLaren have by far the best tyre treatment in the field, high deg tracks like Bahrain they will destroy everyone. Suzuka had very little deg this year, so their advantage was not "dominant".

More annoying to me was his comment post FP2 about it being close. That was just weird.