2025 Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 Team

[kurtj]

I HOPE THEY DONT CHANGE ANYTHING ON THE CAR FOR THE REST OF THE WEEKEND, it's capable of pole.

Guess what, they did change the car (i guess more front flap) but didn't lose anything in sector1. Max was steadily gaining one/one-n-half tenth in sector1 with every single quali lap he did. I found that amazing, even on the final Q3 lap with the mistake in turn1.
Howevever, what shocked me most was nearly ~0.3 that he found in sector2 (still 0.1 slower than mclarens) only in final Q3 run, thanks to the front flap adjust, perhaps.
Before Max haters pounce on this post, let me say : yes, the car was capable, but it takes a special driver to exrtract nearly 100% from the theoreical limit from a car, and such 'jaw dropper' pole laps from max in 2025 are not a surprise anymore. Out of 6 weekends so far Max has 3 poles, with a clearly inferior car than the mclaren.
It's sad that for this race, it will be impossible to defend in the straights due to lack of acceleration from some engine gremlin (i am not ready to believe its drag related, since vmax at end of straights isn't far off) .

I wonder what happened in Bahrain?

[marcel171281]

I HOPE THEY DONT CHANGE ANYTHING ON THE CAR FOR THE REST OF THE WEEKEND, it's capable of pole.

Guess what, they did change the car (i guess more front flap) but didn't lose anything in sector1. Max was steadily gaining one/one-n-half tenth in sector1 with every single quali lap he did. I found that amazing, even on the final Q3 lap with the mistake in turn1.
Howevever, what shocked me most was nearly ~0.3 that he found in sector2 (still 0.1 slower than mclarens) only in final Q3 run, thanks to the front flap adjust, perhaps.
Before Max haters pounce on this post, let me say : yes, the car was capable, but it takes a special driver to exrtract nearly 100% from the theoreical limit from a car, and such 'jaw dropper' pole laps from max in 2025 are not a surprise anymore. Out of 6 weekends so far Max has 3 poles, with a clearly inferior car than the mclaren.
It's sad that for this race, it will be impossible to defend in the straights due to lack of acceleration from some engine gremlin (i am not ready to believe its drag related, since vmax at end of straights isn't far off) .

I wonder what happened in Bahrain?

Thermal tyre degradation.

[f1isgood]

What else to say? VERGOD as someone else said it.

When those syllables are switched it sounds a lot more dutch ..

Lol, doesn't that translate to god damn it or something? Googled "Verstappen godverdomme" and got this

https://www.reddit.com/r/formuladank/co ... young_max/

[Sergej]

that last corner by Lando is embarassing

[f1isgood]

Was doing a comparison of two last two Q3 laps of VER. Relative to the first lap, we know there's probably about a tenth left to be gained just via fuel loads going down. So I was thinking if we can see how much Max gains elsewhere.



Actually it seems Max loses 1.5 tenths because of the wobble but he exactly compensates for it with a perfect T7-T8 onto the first long straight - this puts him a few thousandths ahead coming out of S1.

Then, in S2 he carries a lot more risk through the slow speed, and gains roughly 2.5 tenths on himself before the last straight, and by braking a little later and taking a bit more risk, he gains another half a tenth at the last corner making the final gap 3 tenths. As said before, I would attribute 1 tenth to just fuel loads. So he gains 2 tenths with that wobble.

I think with a perfect lap, Max could have actually gained 4 tenths over his previous lap all things considered. Quite remarkable -- a 1.26.1 was definitely on the cards, maybe even a 1.26.0!

[Cs98]

that last corner by Lando is embarassing

He really threw out the anchors in that braking zone, super conservative. That cost him more than the early turn in.

[f1isgood]

that last corner by Lando is embarassing

Max being mightly through T7 and T8 before the first long straight is actually crazy. It's the exact type of corner Red Bull has been well-behind McLaren for a year now. Medium speed between 100 and 150. Also, Lando's T1 is pretty poor. He barely gains anything with a Max wobble. And the last corner, as you said, embarrassing.

[Sergej]

Was doing a comparison of two last two Q3 laps of VER. Relative to the first lap, we know there's probably about a tenth left to be gained just via fuel loads going down. So I was thinking if we can see how much Max gains elsewhere.

https://i.imgur.com/yDm6yHd.png

Actually it seems Max loses 1.5 tenths because of the wobble but he exactly compensates for it with a perfect T7-T8 onto the first long straight - this puts him a few thousandths ahead coming out of S1.

Then, in S2 he carries a lot more risk through the slow speed, and gains roughly 2.5 tenths on himself before the last straight, and by braking a little later and taking a bit more risk, he gains another half a tenth at the last corner making the final gap 3 tenths. As said before, I would attribute 1 tenth to just fuel loads. So he gains 2 tenths with that wobble.

I think with a perfect lap, Max could have actually gained 4 tenths over his previous lap all things considered. Quite remarkable -- a 1.26.1 was definitely on the cards, maybe even a 1.26.0!

he did a true miracle in the slow speed of S2, it was a difficult section all weekend

[f1isgood]

Was doing a comparison of two last two Q3 laps of VER. Relative to the first lap, we know there's probably about a tenth left to be gained just via fuel loads going down. So I was thinking if we can see how much Max gains elsewhere.

https://i.imgur.com/yDm6yHd.png

Actually it seems Max loses 1.5 tenths because of the wobble but he exactly compensates for it with a perfect T7-T8 onto the first long straight - this puts him a few thousandths ahead coming out of S1.

Then, in S2 he carries a lot more risk through the slow speed, and gains roughly 2.5 tenths on himself before the last straight, and by braking a little later and taking a bit more risk, he gains another half a tenth at the last corner making the final gap 3 tenths. As said before, I would attribute 1 tenth to just fuel loads. So he gains 2 tenths with that wobble.

I think with a perfect lap, Max could have actually gained 4 tenths over his previous lap all things considered. Quite remarkable -- a 1.26.1 was definitely on the cards, maybe even a 1.26.0!

he did a true miracle in the slow speed of S2, it was a difficult section all weekend

Yep. He pulled one out of the hat and gaining 3 tenths on himself there is actually insane.

[Sergej]

well well, that's all good, now are you ready to see Lando divebombs and Max ends up 3-4 in T1 ?

[f1isgood]

well well, that's all good, now are you ready to see Lando divebombs and Max ends up 3-4 in T1 ?

I have already given up any hope regarding the race. McLaren clearly start much better than us this year. Maybe we don't get overtaken by Kimi and we can fight for P2 optimistically. Clean air is king will probably be also true in the race .

[Emag]

well well, that's all good, now are you ready to see Lando divebombs and Max ends up 3-4 in T1 ?

Kimi got screwed because it was wet. On a dry race, Max will just do what he did in Jeddah if he finds himself in the same position and hope pace is better to keep position even with a penalty.

The problem is, it's not guaranteed to be a dry race, if anything it's more likely to be a wet start with a drying track at the moment. Max needs a start like the one he had in Melbourne, because being pushed off-track on a wet track won't end good.

[Cs98]

well well, that's all good, now are you ready to see Lando divebombs and Max ends up 3-4 in T1 ?

Kimi got screwed because it was wet. On a dry race, Max will just do what he did in Jeddah if he finds himself in the same position and hope pace is better to keep position even with a penalty.

The problem is, it's not guaranteed to be a dry race, if anything it's more likely to be a wet start with a drying track at the moment. Max needs a start like the one he had in Melbourne, because being pushed off-track on a wet track won't end good.

That only works in Jeddah because of how the T1-2 chicane is constructed with the shortcut. Trying to stick it around the outside here will only lose you more positions, wet or dry.

[Cs98]

well well, that's all good, now are you ready to see Lando divebombs and Max ends up 3-4 in T1 ?

I have already given up any hope regarding the race. McLaren clearly start much better than us this year. Maybe we don't get overtaken by Kimi and we can fight for P2 optimistically. Clean air is king will probably be also true in the race .

Max has had two bad launches this year, Bahrain and Saudi. The remaining 5 have been on par with McLaren (or better in Australia). And it's really Oscar that has had the good starts recently.

[Sergej]

Problem is that it takes only a slightly better launch for the inside driver to be entitled to release brakes and force the outside driver off track with no penalty. The positive is that Lando is weaker than Oscar in this aspect and Max can terrorize him.