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Imagine if Max wins with Lando coming in second place and Piastri with his penalty around p6. This would open up the championship quite nicely. At least I can hope, I know the chances for the title are very low. But still I hope Max makes it more exciting for both Mclaren drivers.
Last edited by Vettel165 on 01 Oct 2025, 18:59, edited 2 times in total.
Imagine if Max wins with Lando coming in second place and piastri with his penalty around p6. That would open up the championship quite nicely. At least I can hope, I know the chances for the title are very low. But still I hope Max makes it more exciting for both Mclaren drivers.
What penalty? Oscar doesn't have a grid penalty for the false start, if that's what you were referring to.
I agree with your premise though. If Max wins and Lando also takes significant points off of Oscar that would be the best case scenario in terms of making the WDC exciting for the remainder of the season, especially if the RB21 looks legitimately fast.
I was looking at the 2024 data b/w NOR in McL38 and VER in RB20.
The difference (in both Q and R) really was that VER had to brake much harder in all of the slow 90 degree turns, inorder to combat understeer, which meant that even if he got onto the throttle earlier at the exit (as it happened in some corners), he was always losing the dash to the next corner, because he started with much lower speed, a.k.a the typical metric of lower min-speed through the corner (all around 100-150 kph , except the final T18-19 long corner before the pitstraight). These are all corners where it isn't really downforce that is coming into play, but mainly mechanical grip and the RB20 was understeering like a pig.
This year, the McL39 is vastly improved over the McL38 (strengths strengthened into weapons grade, and weaknesses resolved to become par) and the RB21 with it's new Monza floor has dialled out the RB20's main understeer weakness (as seen from the chicanes in Monza and the 90 degree slow corners in Baku). So although the main narrative is about 'high downforce' nature of the track, the real usefulness of the 'big wings' is only for braking before the slow turns and the sweep through the final corner(s) before the pitstraight. It's really a game of mechanical traction through and at the exit of the corners. And this is where I think the Redbull team is quietly confident of matching (even if not surpassing) the McLaren. I wouldn't be surprised if Redbull go for a smaller rear wing & bigger front wing than the Mclaren, and look to scrape any advantage from the four DRS zones for the quali laptime.
All said and done, if the Friday practice sessions are washed out by rain, it will be a slam dunk pole and win for one of the McLarens (most likely Norris), because Redbull depends heavily on 'reprocessing practice data' to arrive at the optimum setup, rather than being optimal right out of the box from sim-driven-setup, like McLaren are. That's my take - friday practice washout => McLaren clear winners, Friday practice normal => Redbull in the game.
I agree with the last part. Also I am convinced mcl will screw up with strategy somehow in the near future. They NEED to separate their drivers. Lando drove into piastry once, he'll do it again.
I even think they cross their fingers lando is not on the same starting row. If both MCL's go off in T1 together, a lion will awaken....
If they seriously are aiming for P2, then I would expect more teamwork to ensure Q3 for Yuki. The margins are tight and I wouldn't be surprised to see teammates from other teams giving a tow.
It's not fair or sporting. It's high time to resolve the issue with satellite teams.
I didn't say get a tow from another team. I said teammates from other teams giving a tow. Teammates.
If they seriously are aiming for P2, then I would expect more teamwork to ensure Q3 for Yuki. The margins are tight and I wouldn't be surprised to see teammates from other teams giving a tow.
I think MV is at least seriously trying to get P2 in the WDC. If Lando comes in third after verstappen after being the WDC favourite early in the season, that will be brutal on him...
Max would easily get into q3 I would think. So the help would need to be in Q2. Maybe that means Max gets a banker lap, and Yuki follows him on the 2nd run, not lead. The strategy has been weird but also unlucky with Yuki with so many disruptions in his quali runs. Same for everyone but if you want a rear gunner ...
I agree with the last part. Also I am convinced mcl will screw up with strategy somehow in the near future. They NEED to separate their drivers. Lando drove into piastry once, he'll do it again.
I even think they cross their fingers lando is not on the same starting row. If both MCL's go off in T1 together, a lion will awaken....
Unless Max becomes the meat of the McLaren sandwich, like the Italian sandwich meat he was a few years back.
“But having said that, the car was fast enough to compete for pole position [in Baku], which is a credit to the engineers who have designed a pretty versatile car, even when not operating within the strengths of the car itself.
If the car was fast enough to compete for pole as mentioned by Stella, the car was good enough to win at Baku. People need to simply admit that the McLaren drivers can only deliver when the car has a significant pace advantage and is the dominant package. Not every race will be like Zandvoort but that's true for every race car ever made.
Was the car good? Yes. Were the drivers good enough to deliver at Baku? No. That's where the discussion should end.
Yes it might not be like Hungary but Max still was having issues on those slow tight corners in Baku which the clip showing max's pole lap highlights. Singapore has 3 tight and slow corners (8, 13 and 14) which could be a serious problem for Max and the rb21.
Yes it might not be like Hungary but Max still was having issues on those slow tight corners in Baku which the clip showing max's pole lap highlights. Singapore has 3 tight and slow corners (8, 13 and 14) which could be a serious problem for Max and the rb21.
Everyone had problems in that tight section because of very slippery conditions and strong wind there. Max looked one of the best car through the slow-speed corners. The balance looked very good.
Singapore is quite similar to Baku except for the downforce level. It’s mainly 90 degree medium-slow speed corners. I’m actually quite optimistic about RB21 here relative to last year, not saying it will be faster than MCL39, but it may have a puncher’s chance in qualifying. Race pace was dominant for McLaren last year, but this is the type of circuit where if you lead after the first corner you can control the race regardless of any pace deficit.
