2025 McLaren F1 Team

[FittingMechanics]

I said yesterday too, but with hindsight, I still don’t think they should have pit Oscar a second time.

Max would have gone through no doubt, but I don’t think Ollie would have caught and overtaken him for 4th.

I was thinking this during the race. I think there was more scope for a higher finish by staying out, but I was certain he wouldn't have finished lower than he did.

I always think this during races but Oscar just can't make these "tire whisperer" strategies work. This coupled with McLaren being super conservative on strategy means you get these type of calls.

[basti313]

No, box to overtake is not an intentional fake. It means "box opposite of the car ahead". They did use it a few times to try and dummy the other team into reacting, but they do it all the time without faking as well.

That is your interpretation and in my POV wrong. The car ahead never boxed, except for Lec in Hun. Still they never did the opposite. It is a pure fake call (that they should change as everyone knows).
Any examples where they really did the opposite except for Hun?

[venkyhere]

The reason McLaren were 'in a league of their own' in Mexico is because of three things :
1. Superior mechanical grip and ride quality in conjunction with not being too sensitive to ride height
2. heat management of tyres
3. Cooling of engine, intake and radiators (see how less they had to open the car)

The third factor is often not given enough importance. But it helps the downforce indirectly. Less openings on the side of the engine cover => less 'bad air' destroying the flow hitting the rear downforce structures => better utilization of the aero surfaces. Which in turn means better 'quality' downforce, especially in 'yaw' conditions => better preservation of tyres (on top of the already insane advantage of tyre temp maintenance).

The advantage will be lesser at sea level

Edit : now, with these three factors, analyze the performance of PIastri, how 'weak' he has become if he struggled the way he did behind Bearman and Antonelli/Russel, despite having a car that is the only car on the grid which can follow another car closely for a sustained duration.

[FittingMechanics]

No, box to overtake is not an intentional fake. It means "box opposite of the car ahead". They did use it a few times to try and dummy the other team into reacting, but they do it all the time without faking as well.

That is your interpretation and in my POV wrong. The car ahead never boxed, except for Lec in Hun. Still they never did the opposite. It is a pure fake call (that they should change as everyone knows).
Any examples where they really did the opposite except for Hun?

All the teams use this, it's not something specific. For example Ferrari talking about it in 2022. https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/ferrari- ... clerc.html

Here is a F1 article that mentions it as well https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/arti ... P4mRsXoGsB

Pretty much all undercut pitstops that McLaren do are started by calling "Box to overtake". It's to signal that if the car ahead pits first that you don't follow him in. Reason for the different naming is because they don't have time to react and cancel the pitstop if the car ahead pits right before you.

Sometimes McLaren tries to dummy the other car into pitting, but the terms they use are exactly the same.

[SilviuAgo]

To all the haters, the secret for the dominant win:



And two fun statistics:
- Two drivers have taken each of their first 10 wins at 10 different circuits. The first is Michael Schumacher, the second is Lando Norris!
- And now Lando has updated his previous record as the McLaren driver with most podiums in a season: 16. Old record before Lando: Alain Prost 14 - in 1988 (equaled by Oscar in 2025).

[SilviuAgo]

Nice one for the start. Perfect from Lando and really happy that all the discussion and drama about the run to T1 was overcome by his start and line to T1.
Also on f1tv before the race almost half o f the discussion was about the run to T1 and how Max from P5 has a perfect chance to be in front. Except James Hinchcliffe all the rest looks like DTS producers.

[diffuser]

They can fake it once.

Here McLaren first said box to overtake (which means do opposite of car ahead) but then they changes it to box box, meaning box regardless of car ahead.

Not sure why, maybe he was being undercut or realized he was losing too much time on mediums.

You know they don't leave the garage to make it look like they're pitting. They just stand there in the garage with all the equipment a ready. There is no rules on what you can and can't do in the garage.

[AR3-GP]

What I'm curious about is how Mclaren knew already on Friday that the soft tire was the one to do the race sim on. Isn't that odd?

[organic]

What I'm curious about is how Mclaren knew already on Friday that the soft tire was the one to do the race sim on. Isn't that odd?

They understand the tyres better than most other teams, considering that this is essentially a tyre formula now, and Mexico is always low grip which lends to softer compounds usually

[mwillems]

I said yesterday too, but with hindsight, I still don’t think they should have pit Oscar a second time.

Max would have gone through no doubt, but I don’t think Ollie would have caught and overtaken him for 4th.

I was thinking this during the race. I think there was more scope for a higher finish by staying out, but I was certain he wouldn't have finished lower than he did.

I always think this during races but Oscar just can't make these "tire whisperer" strategies work. This coupled with McLaren being super conservative on strategy means you get these type of calls.

I guess he did alright in the first stint when has was following and attacking.

The track felt like it was very low deg even with the cars sliding. Even, 20 odd laps for them to recover the pit delta deficit AND pass Oscar felt like a tall order.

When the Merc pitted ahead I fully expected Oscar to dive left.

[Ben1980]

I was thinking this during the race. I think there was more scope for a higher finish by staying out, but I was certain he wouldn't have finished lower than he did.

I always think this during races but Oscar just can't make these "tire whisperer" strategies work. This coupled with McLaren being super conservative on strategy means you get these type of calls.

I guess he did alright in the first stint when has was following and attacking.

The track felt like it was very low deg even with the cars sliding. Even, 20 odd laps for them to recover the pit delta deficit AND pass Oscar felt like a tall order.

When the Merc pitted ahead I fully expected Oscar to dive left.

Im not sure they pit if Oscar doesnt pit. And im then not sure of Oscar gets passed George on the mediums. He would get taken by Max easily though If Kimi still stops its questionable if he gets it back though

[mwillems]

I always think this during races but Oscar just can't make these "tire whisperer" strategies work. This coupled with McLaren being super conservative on strategy means you get these type of calls.

I guess he did alright in the first stint when has was following and attacking.

The track felt like it was very low deg even with the cars sliding. Even, 20 odd laps for them to recover the pit delta deficit AND pass Oscar felt like a tall order.

When the Merc pitted ahead I fully expected Oscar to dive left.

Im not sure they pit if Oscar doesnt pit. And im then not sure of Oscar gets passed George on the mediums. He would get taken by Max easily though If Kimi still stops its questionable if he gets it back though

Kimi had pitted, but I'm not sure if George would have, but he'd still have got past George the same I think, possibly even quicker with just one car to worry about.

Felt like a missed opportunity to me.

[Ben1980]

I guess he did alright in the first stint when has was following and attacking.

The track felt like it was very low deg even with the cars sliding. Even, 20 odd laps for them to recover the pit delta deficit AND pass Oscar felt like a tall order.

When the Merc pitted ahead I fully expected Oscar to dive left.

Im not sure they pit if Oscar doesnt pit. And im then not sure of Oscar gets passed George on the mediums. He would get taken by Max easily though If Kimi still stops its questionable if he gets it back though

Kimi had pitted, but I'm not sure if George would have, but he'd still have got past George the same I think, possibly even quicker with just one car to worry about.

Felt like a missed opportunity to me.

Though Mclaren made it pretty obvious they were stopping Oscar that they had to pit Kimi.

Maybe Oscar would have got George on the mediums but im not sure.

Though i think stopping or not stopping 5th was likely best finish.

[mwillems]

Yes, but we still had the opportunity to see Kimi pit and stay out.

[diffuser]

What I'm curious about is how Mclaren knew already on Friday that the soft tire was the one to do the race sim on. Isn't that odd?

They understand the tyres better than most other teams, considering that this is essentially a tyre formula now, and Mexico is always low grip which lends to softer compounds usually

Think most teams had the tires down by then. It isn't exactly brain surgery. It's even easier for McLaren since they manage tire wear better than most.