2025 Spanish Grand Prix - Barcelona-Catalunya May 30 - June 1

[Seanspeed]

It comes across as a vendetta ( I am not saying it is, but I do notice as a neutral party), because the truth is you cannot do much better than making the podium

I feel like your takes on F1 are getting worse by the day.

When you have the best car, you are expected to win, not just get podiums. I have no idea why you'd set the bar so low for two good drivers in the CLEAR best car. If Lewis Hamilton spent his years from 2014-2020 only occasionally winning races, but more often getting 2nd/3rd in what was the clear best car because somebody else was simply outperforming him, his reputation would have taken a nosedive and rightfully so.

Also, recognizing Verstappen as the best driver isn't something you need to be a Verstappen fan to do. This is again not a matter of bias, just recognizing reality. And frankly, it's not even close. Verstappen is genuinely just a cut above everybody else. He just is. He's a legit GOAT-level talent. I say this as a Ferrari fan, not a Verstappen fan.

[ringo]

I was referring to both drivers. If one wins, the other can only at best be on the podium. So overall, McLaren can only get podiums with both. It's common sense.
A one man team like Max, he can go wins, but he's going to be the only one on the team winning. With two equal drivers, one is not going to win every race. Realistically being on the podium, or 1 or 2 or three is pretty much the best expectation.

[Seanspeed]

I was referring to both drivers. If one wins, the other can only at best be on the podium. So overall, McLaren can only get podiums with both. It's common sense.
A one man team like Max, he can go wins, but he's going to be the only one on the team winning. With two equal drivers, one is not going to win every race. Realistically being on the podium, or 1 or 2 or three is pretty much the best expectation.

But that's not the point.

Obviously if ONE of them is winning and the other is relegated to the podium, that would make sense in the best car on the grid.

But they are both losing races.

Best way I can put this is that if Verstappen was driving that Mclaren, he'd probably have won every single race this season and nobody would remotely question how dominant that car was. There's not a single weekend where Mclaren have not been the best car.

[langedweil]

My prediction for the race: the two Mercedes powered championship contenders from the same team tangle with eachother in the first lap and both end up in the gravel. Max is being chased by Kimi the entire race but keeps him at bay and wins his first, erm, sixtysixth race.

Sounds more like wishful thinking to me. The mclaren drivers usually race clean so a shunt between them is unlikely imo
Merc being one of the teams that will be more affected by the new td and previously showing poor race pace on high deg tracks are probably not gonna have a good enough weekend to challenge even Max.

You do realize it was meant like kind of funny forward-to-the-past kinda guess, right?
Let's say 2016-ish ...

It was funny enough to make me smirk, and only works because we do have a Kimi active on the grid ..

[ringo]

I was referring to both drivers. If one wins, the other can only at best be on the podium. So overall, McLaren can only get podiums with both. It's common sense.
A one man team like Max, he can go wins, but he's going to be the only one on the team winning. With two equal drivers, one is not going to win every race. Realistically being on the podium, or 1 or 2 or three is pretty much the best expectation.

But that's not the point.

Obviously if ONE of them is winning and the other is relegated to the podium, that would make sense in the best car on the grid.

But they are both losing races.

Best way I can put this is that if Verstappen was driving that Mclaren, he'd probably have won every single race this season and nobody would remotely question how dominant that car was. There's not a single weekend where Mclaren have not been the best car.

Why can't Max win every race is his Red Bull? I thought he was that good that he just needs the second fastest car to win everything? The car clearly is almost equal to MCL39. 3 pole positions already and fastest in Imola, Jedha and Suzuka.
Clearly he doesn't need any more help since he's so good.
RB21 is going to be the fastest car in Barcelona also. It will have the advantage in the highspeed corners.

[ispano6]

The margins being so tight is just a result of convergence. It not only is a man-machine synergy but heavily reliant on getting the set up right. In that regard McLaren have the upper hand with Marshall, that is clear. Red Bull clearly isn't fully loaded with Wheatley and a few others having left. The dream team is gone.

[CMSMJ1]

Let's all step away from the driver Ying Yang

That's right....

Walk away. Take it to reddit or some other place.

Many thanks

[vas_04614]

No new front wings for Merc, Mcl and Alpine

[organic]

No new front wings for Merc, Mcl and Alpine

Because they tested them at Imola

[organic]

Not explicitly Barcelona related but didn't know where else to post

Some interesting tyre selections. C2-C3-C4 for Silverstone and C1-C3-C4 are each unusual choices

[chrisc90]

Where are the update sheets for the weekend?

[FittingMechanics]

No new front wings for Merc, Mcl and Alpine

Because they tested them at Imola

Partly true.
Merc declared their new wing at Imola because it has aero changes.
McLaren did not declare their new wing at Imola because one support bracket is not an aero change that needs to be reported.
Alpine declared their new wing at Imola because it has aero changes.

Where are the update sheets for the weekend?

https://www.fia.com/documents/champions ... and%20Prix

[Cs98]

Not explicitly Barcelona related but didn't know where else to post

Some interesting tyre selections. C2-C3-C4 for Silverstone and C1-C3-C4 are each unusual choices

https://i.imgur.com/9FT19sw.jpeg

Thank god for no C6 in Austria or Hungary

[Mogster]

Not explicitly Barcelona related but didn't know where else to post

Some interesting tyre selections. C2-C3-C4 for Silverstone and C1-C3-C4 are each unusual choices

https://i.imgur.com/9FT19sw.jpeg

It’ll be interesting to see how the compound gap plays out at Spa.

[basti313]

Not explicitly Barcelona related but didn't know where else to post

Some interesting tyre selections. C2-C3-C4 for Silverstone and C1-C3-C4 are each unusual choices

https://i.imgur.com/9FT19sw.jpeg

Thank god for no C6 in Austria or Hungary

Why is this good? I understand it for Austria, but Hungary? Verstappen could do 21 competitive laps on the C4...in a boring race where no one could overtake. Would be a clear target for softer tires.

Same here...would create much more strategy options if they go one step softer.