venkyhere wrote: ↑05 Dec 2025, 16:45
From the data, Norris was in lower engine mode than Max in FP2, and still faster by 4 tenths in Q and around 5-6 tenths in R simulations. RB21 also showing much bigger 'deg' than the McL39. In the real Q and R, I think this gap is going to be 5 tenths and 8-9 tenths, respectively. The difference in the off camber corners of Sector3 is almost comical. I think this is too much a gap for Redbull to bridge. I can't see beyond a pole to flags victory for Norris this weekend. The advantage over the 'next best' car on this track, is even bigger than it was in 2024. Norris will win his 1st WDC with a cool P1 with some 30s margin over P2.
Piastri looks lost.
How wrong I was about S3 !!!
Max was only a few hundreths slower than both Mclarens in S3. It can only be one/both of two things :
- Max was hiding pace (as much as 4 tenths) in S3 throughout the weekend, until Q3 (he did show a sub 30s in the second Q2 run, but 29.6 in Q3 is an insane sector time, gaining 0.55 w.r.t FP2)
- Redbull actually fixed the understeer overnight.
For all the talk of Vmax, the 'tow' that Max got, what the lap traces (F1insightshub.com) show, is that his Vmax gain was 2kph only. The Mclarens were nearly equal in top speed to the Redbull, Where Max 'gained' his S2 time, it was in the slow corners T5 and the T6-7 chicane.
For all the 'it's close in quali' talk, and the fact that both Mclarens didn't make a mistake and drove optimally, the pole lap was 2 tenths faster. This is not a man, it's a machine.
Gonna be very hard to pass unless the tyres fall off completely.
