2025 McLaren F1 Team

[the EDGE]

Another PU failure for Mercedes (or at least it looked like one). What is happening?

Probably got too hot

[FittingMechanics]

I'm just surprised it is affecting other Mercedes engined teams but McLaren seems rock solid. Maybe others are seeing how little cooling McLaren needs so they run to little?

Strange in any case.

[Seerix]

Interesting point from radio during the safety car.
Will: I think we should box.
Lando: Yeah confirm. What's Oscar doing?
Will: Both of us (I think, kinda hard to hear). It's an instruction to box.

They seem to be pretty firmly trying to enforce both cars having the same strategy, so neither driver feels disadvantaged. ie Lando couldn't try staying out for track position if he wanted to.

[FittingMechanics]

Yes, I think that is very obvious. Team thinks they are clearly ahead of the competition and from the start of the season, this is full no preferential treatment.

Great result by the team. I am also very impressed with Norris, who did not overdrive into a mistake. Some days it just doesn't fall your way, it's important to stay focused and just clean up these P2s when needed.

[Tvetovnato]

Any news on when McLaren will bring upgrades?

[Watto]

I'm just surprised it is affecting other Mercedes engined teams but McLaren seems rock solid. Maybe others are seeing how little cooling McLaren needs so they run to little?

Strange in any case.

Maybe a combination of things?


I thought I recall earlier in the year the speculation that the Mercedes again had a slight power advantage over their rivals including Honda. Not anything proven but we've seen reliability upgrades gain power in the past I wonder if this bought an unknown issue?

Stella has said about the McLaren has car wide cooling solution so that probably helps.

But they've also been largely leading all season if they were running mid pack I wonder if it would cause an issue?


Either way I think they are pretty safe now the gap is large enough they can almost afford one. Red Bull were iirc highish on their engine allocation too iirc. Maybe not always a sign that there is excess wear. But it was a concern

[FittingMechanics]

Any news on when McLaren will bring upgrades?

No idea, but we have to take into account that they can't bring updates for one car. They need to have enough for both, and with the performance they have it's likely they won't rush them.

[_cerber1]

Any news on when McLaren will bring upgrades?

I heard it will be Red Bull Ring.

[SilviuAgo]

Another PU failure for Mercedes (or at least it looked like one). What is happening?

Toto confirmed it was an engine failure I believe. But a 49 point lead in the WDC is a very good buffer. I think if Max finished 3rd it would be a concern. But not really now.

Toto said on F1tv interview that was an oil problem and they need to investigate. So was not heat related.

And I keep my opinion that RB strategy was today the best, at least for them to put a constant and sensitive pressure on the two McLarens. Without the SC we might have a different outcome, Maybe for Oscar no problems but for Lando for sure a big headache.

[mwillems]

Yes, I think that is very obvious. Team thinks they are clearly ahead of the competition and from the start of the season, this is full no preferential treatment.

Great result by the team. I am also very impressed with Norris, who did not overdrive into a mistake. Some days it just doesn't fall your way, it's important to stay focused and just clean up these P2s when needed.

Has Lando been overdriving on a Sunday, though? Typically he's had strong Sundays I think. He's overdriven on a Saturday as well as being genuinely outqualified.

It's only ten points, he could get a couple more P2s and still be one incident away from taking the championship lead.
If any driver gets a 30 point gap then I guess you can start to look at that as a gap with a small comfort buffer.

[CjC]

Nah, Lando had Max covered on what was going to be the last stint before the safety car came out, only fighting back makers were making it look close.

Absolutely solid display from McLaren today, Oscar was lapping significantly quicker than Verstappen who was lapping on significantly younger tyres during the medium tyres stint.

[Magistos]

I will say after Monaco being so predictable, this was a fun race to watch.

Oscar exhibited wonderful control and race craft, doing what he does, quietly. He's, cold, calculating, and a bit aggressive.

Lando did great as well, aside from his typical race start issues. He also consistently applied pressure to Max, and showed his speed when he got past him. He drives on his emotions and it has weaknesses and strengths.

The strategy from McLaren was great today, and I hope to see more of this type of steady awareness.

Max is such a great talent, honestly, and for me, I am a McLaren fan but recognize his greatness and so I criticize him when he goes "Mad Max" because he doesn't have to. He's good enough not to need to resort to those tactics. It's unnecessary and will be a "but he..." in his story in the record books.

The ending was madness and very entertaining from a viewer's perspective.

I love that McLaren showed -again- that the car is a full package, not a one trick flexi wing, and that having two great drivers you can just let race is a good vision.

[Emag]

Max is such a great talent, honestly, and for me, I am a McLaren fan but recognize his greatness and so I criticize him when he goes "Mad Max" because he doesn't have to. He's good enough not to need to resort to those tactics. It's unnecessary and will be a "but he..." in his story in the record books.

It's what I have been saying since forever. It's not real racing and it's not something I will ever personally enjoy seeing from any driver. I don't even understand what's the point of even doing that. It never changes anything for him and if anything he has always just hurt himself when he goes "crazy".

He would have still won the WDC in 2021 if he didn't pull off those horrible moves in Jeddah and Brazil.
He would have still won the WDC in 2024 without the Hungary, Austin & Mexico crap.

And I am just not going to get into whatever has happened before his first WDC. This sort of behaviour has been there since the very beginning, but they were saying back then it was just his young age. Evidently, it wasn't age at all.

The only recent "real" battle between Max and a direct WDC rival of his that didn't feature "ugly" moves at any point, was him and Leclerc for those 2 races in 2022. And boy, it was beautiful. It's pretty obvious he doesn't need to resort to these lowly tactics. The problem is that he has absolutely no grace in defeat, unless he knows there are zero implications for the championship (late 2023 for example).

His legacy is more than safe though, it's just that in hindsight, there was never any need to put these "asterikses" in that legacy. In any case, he remains without a doubt one of the most talented and best drivers in the grid these last 10 years (arguably, the best in my opinion, but that's up to each personal view).

[Mostlyeels]

The strategy from McLaren was great today, and I hope to see more of this type of steady awareness.

Their steady reaction to this makes me think they red team/blue teamed this.

Double stacking on the safety car, with everything else, shows a steady hand and some rehearsal of this situation.

As a fan, it always feels like a few seconds gap is not enough, and tension is high. But, to the team, this is a good margin I'd guess.

[mwillems]

I don't mind his hard racing, or he brilliant way of using the rules as another weapon.

But his behaviour today, earlier in his career, vs Hamilton and at times vs Lando, such as Austria when his intent was "pass me and ill f*ck you up" are a not going to be forgotten. He'll forever be remembered for the ugly and the beautiful.