2025 McLaren F1 Team

[mwillems]

I get that you don't like the word, but it's his opinion and the meaning is fairly clear, when Lando is under pressure he seems more likely to make mistakes than others would. It's not unfair to carry that opinion, even if it's one you don't like or agree with.

After 4 races why are we even forensically analysing these guys. It's waaay too early.

[Ben1980]

I get that you don't like the word, but it's his opinion and the meaning is fairly clear, when Lando is under pressure he seems more likely to make mistakes than others would. It's not unfair to carry that opinion, even if it's one you don't like or agree with.

I just think it's a bit lazy. Making mistakes isn't necessarily bottling anything, it's making mistakes.

Lando has made mistakes at various times over the years, he also hasn't. I also don't think Oscar bottled it in Japan when he made a mistake on his final run and lost time.

An example of bottling it was Rory Mcilroy! At times you could see him tight and tense.

I just think bottling has become a term that it doesn't really mean.

[mwillems]

Well, it's a different season now and everyone should have time to show what they can do. But it's hard to argue against the large amount of mistakes Lando made over the last 3 seasons, even more so in situations where the stakes were higher. He does seem to have been prone to overdriving and some rushes of blood to the head.

But it's a new season, everyone evolves and everyone should be given time.

I do think that there are those that see any sign of last years mistakes and are ready to get straight on his back. And i do think it's a bit silly. But don't sweat it, he's got every chance to write his own narrative this year.

However, he would help himself if he stopped biting when baited by the media, or Max, and just got his head down and got on.

[mwillems]

Upgrades about to be signed off for manufacturing, won't arrive in the next few races.

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/04/ ... -approach/

[Macklaren]

Upgrades about to be signed off for manufacturing, won't arrive in the next few races.

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/04/ ... -approach/

Interesting. Looks like it will be one big upgrade (I would guess for R9 after the rule change) and then its focus on 2026.

Hope they have a demoralizing WCC lead already by then

[CjC]

Interestingly Russell seems to think the rear wing clamp down might affect McLaren in Spain….

I notice that he didn’t reference the front wing clamp down- as it’s paddock knowledge that Mercedes and McLaren are exploiting this advantage the most.

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/russe ... /10714290/

However I like Stella’s response regarding the rear wing flex, he said something that I had never considered before that a flexing rear wing won’t offer the same amount of load as a ‘stiff’ rear wing.
That would suggest to me that if/ when Mclaren have to make a stiffer rear wing, they will make a stiffer one and then just run less wing angle on it to achieve the same downforce/ drag level.

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/mcla ... ations-f1/

Also could someone please explain to me where we are at regarding the flex tests.
New front wing test is at the Spanish GP.
According to Russell there is a new test for the rear wing as well…. So what was the new test that we had in China?

[mwillems]

Yeah we had a new test brought in over 2 races for the RW. Only front wings being tightened up in Spain.

[Nicktendo86]

Worried about the lack of upgrades, the gap isn’t big

[Macklaren]

Interestingly Russell seems to think the rear wing clamp down might affect McLaren in Spain….

I notice that he didn’t reference the front wing clamp down- as it’s paddock knowledge that Mercedes and McLaren are exploiting this advantage the most.

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/russe ... /10714290/

However I like Stella’s response regarding the rear wing flex, he said something that I had never considered before that a flexing rear wing won’t offer the same amount of load as a ‘stiff’ rear wing.
That would suggest to me that if/ when Mclaren have to make a stiffer rear wing, they will make a stiffer one and then just run less wing angle on it to achieve the same downforce/ drag level.

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/mcla ... ations-f1/

Also could someone please explain to me where we are at regarding the flex tests.
New front wing test is at the Spanish GP.
According to Russell there is a new test for the rear wing as well…. So what was the new test that we had in China?

this is bizarre/gamesmanship from RUS. Every comparison done so far says the Merc rear wing flexes more than McL

[mwillems]

Russell, Max and RB are trying to put as much pressure on the team and drivers in particular. Without doubt they sense they are just about close enough to mount shots for the drivers title and maybe the constructors and will do anything to disrupt our start.

Many comments from Max and George centre around the idea that anything less the driving the Mclaren into the distance is failure and how slow their cars are, but what about great job they are doing.

I saw Stella saying how this was insulting the RB designers, but the whole RB team know that they are trying to get into the opponents heads, as does Stella who does what he can to deflect.

It's not been dealt with great so far, but his response on flexi wings was brilliant.

[AR3-GP]

Interestingly Russell seems to think the rear wing clamp down might affect McLaren in Spain….

I notice that he didn’t reference the front wing clamp down- as it’s paddock knowledge that Mercedes and McLaren are exploiting this advantage the most.

There is no rear wing directive for Spain. Russell is usually correct but there’s some gamesmanship here. Mercedes front wing moves just as much as Mclaren. His own team will be affected.

[LM10]

However I like Stella’s response regarding the rear wing flex, he said something that I had never considered before that a flexing rear wing won’t offer the same amount of load as a ‘stiff’ rear wing.
That would suggest to me that if/ when Mclaren have to make a stiffer rear wing, they will make a stiffer one and then just run less wing angle on it to achieve the same downforce/ drag level.

No aerodynamicist in this world would choose a stiff rear wing over a flexing one, if they had the choice.
McLaren as well as all others would not achieve the same downforce/drag level with both wing types.

[CjC]

Interestingly Russell seems to think the rear wing clamp down might affect McLaren in Spain….

I notice that he didn’t reference the front wing clamp down- as it’s paddock knowledge that Mercedes and McLaren are exploiting this advantage the most.

There is no rear wing directive for Spain. Russell is usually correct but there’s some gamesmanship here. Mercedes front wing moves just as much as Mclaren. His own team will be affected.

Which makes what Russell said even more intriguing. Like you say it’s not like him to make a mistake (about the rear wing test in Spain) or it’s a mistake by the journalist which I doubt because he didn’t mention the front wing test and like we are saying, the flexing clamp down will effect the Merc at least as much or even slightly more than Mclaren.

However after hearing a few bits and pieces from what the team have been saying, I doubt the clamp down will have that much of an effect on McLaren.

[CjC]

However I like Stella’s response regarding the rear wing flex, he said something that I had never considered before that a flexing rear wing won’t offer the same amount of load as a ‘stiff’ rear wing.
That would suggest to me that if/ when Mclaren have to make a stiffer rear wing, they will make a stiffer one and then just run less wing angle on it to achieve the same downforce/ drag level.

No aerodynamicist in this world would choose a stiff rear wing over a flexing one, if they had the choice.
McLaren as well as all others would not achieve the same downforce/drag level with both wing types.

So why aren’t Red Bull using a rear wing with more flex that it currently has then?

[mwillems]

However I like Stella’s response regarding the rear wing flex, he said something that I had never considered before that a flexing rear wing won’t offer the same amount of load as a ‘stiff’ rear wing.
That would suggest to me that if/ when Mclaren have to make a stiffer rear wing, they will make a stiffer one and then just run less wing angle on it to achieve the same downforce/ drag level.

No aerodynamicist in this world would choose a stiff rear wing over a flexing one, if they had the choice.
McLaren as well as all others would not achieve the same downforce/drag level with both wing types.

So why aren’t Red Bull using a rear wing with more flex that it currently has then?

Because less downforce in mid to high speed corners would make them lose more time than they would gain on the straights I think.

This is what Lando explained, that's it's a choice not to flex and they would surely do it if they could. They push the limits elsewhere, the reason they are not pushing the limits on flex is because they can't, not because they are angels