2025 McLaren F1 Team

[Emag]

They're also incredibly slow on the main straight, like really really slow. 0.11s of that 0.18s gap in S1 is just straight line speed before the first braking zone. 7.9 kmh down on Max's top speed.

If Oscar gets jumped at the start, good luck getting through with that top speed.

[FittingMechanics]

More downforce will keep tyres good for longer. Red Bull probably bet everything on qualifying.

[CjC]

They're also incredibly slow on the main straight, like really really slow. 0.11s of that 0.18s gap in S1 is just straight line speed before the first braking zone. 7.9 kmh down on Max's top speed.

If Oscar gets jumped at the start, good luck getting through with that top speed.

It’s one of the few remaining and will remain weakness of the McLaren is the drs efficiency as I’m sure you know. One more year of this rule set and McLaren would boss that accolade as well.
I’d like to know how the McLaren fairs against the Red Bull without using the drs

[Emag]

More downforce will keep tyres good for longer. Red Bull probably bet everything on qualifying.

Nah this isn't downforce. Something in that car is inducing a lot of drag, but it's a compromise they're willing to run with at the moment, because whatever it is, it's giving them advantage elsewhere.

8 kmh down on Max and 7 kmh down on George (same PU), is way too much to say it's just downforce.

[mwillems]

Let's not kid ourselves. This Lando Norris has nothing to do with that fantastic Lando Norris driver from the years 2019 to 2023. It's clear he has become worse. I don't know what's bothering him and he can't perform but it's infuriating to know he has the capabilities to be the fastest driver of this generation but is unable to.

Congratulations to Oscar Piastri for showing such a championship material performance once again. The cars are pretty much equal in one lap pace and Oscar is the driver that is making the difference and not the car.

Lando was making mistakes a plenty in 2019-23 too. You 'll likely not have the memory, but it was happening throughout 2023 and I was heaving heated discussions with Ben1980 (And others, it was an unpopular opinion) about the importance of it, suggesting that Lando needed to sort himself out- as any time soon he'd get a competitive car, but that this was a long time trait and I strongly suspected it would not go and stated as much. Always the same type of mistake, overdriving.

Oscar's trajectory has been fairly clear. You can ignore bad patches and head to head stats, it is clear he improves relentlessly. And I imagine there's plenty more left in his curve, too, particularly on Sundays. The kid is clearly a generational talent and ahead of Lando when you compare their seasons 1,2 and now 3.

The car is built around a strong rear though, and Oscar is a guy who is more gentle on entry of the corner and aggressive on the exit, whereas Lando is the opposite. SO a car that has an improved rear as a notable improvement over last year is going to benefit Oscar.

[FittingMechanics]

More downforce will keep tyres good for longer. Red Bull probably bet everything on qualifying.

Nah this isn't downforce. Something in that car is inducing a lot of drag, but it's a compromise they're willing to run with at the moment, because whatever it is, it's giving them advantage elsewhere.

8 kmh down on Max and 7 kmh down on George (same PU), is way too much to say it's just downforce.

Brake cooling.

[Ben1980]

Let's not kid ourselves. This Lando Norris has nothing to do with that fantastic Lando Norris driver from the years 2019 to 2023. It's clear he has become worse. I don't know what's bothering him and he can't perform but it's infuriating to know he has the capabilities to be the fastest driver of this generation but is unable to.

Congratulations to Oscar Piastri for showing such a championship material performance once again. The cars are pretty much equal in one lap pace and Oscar is the driver that is making the difference and not the car.

Not sure he's become worse, that's just hyperbole.

[mwillems]

More downforce will keep tyres good for longer. Red Bull probably bet everything on qualifying.

Nah this isn't downforce. Something in that car is inducing a lot of drag, but it's a compromise they're willing to run with at the moment, because whatever it is, it's giving them advantage elsewhere.

8 kmh down on Max and 7 kmh down on George (same PU), is way too much to say it's just downforce.

Brake cooling.

I actually think they're also doing something internal to the car, relating to airflow and cooling.

[FittingMechanics]

Btw we have to give credit to Piastri. He is qualifying amazingly well this year. He is super close to pole (or gets pole) every race.

He is working this season like a champion would. Really impressive. I still think Norris is a candidate but Piastri is really making this his season.

[mwillems]

I think this guy has all the talent to be a multiple world champion.

[Emag]

Even by ideal laps, the Top 4 would have been the same. Lando is so much slower than his teammate in the first two sectors that it almost doesn't really matter that he held the best S3, because his tires would naturally be in a better condition once he gets there.

8th fastest sector 1!

[Tvetovnato]

So far, so (incredbly fantastically) good But he is still very inexperienced to be in a situation like this, so he will surely be tested in very challenging situations during the year which might expose that still. But you could not ask for more so far. I can’t believe the run he is on.

[FittingMechanics]

Nah this isn't downforce. Something in that car is inducing a lot of drag, but it's a compromise they're willing to run with at the moment, because whatever it is, it's giving them advantage elsewhere.

8 kmh down on Max and 7 kmh down on George (same PU), is way too much to say it's just downforce.

Brake cooling.

I actually think they're also doing something internal to the car, relating to airflow and cooling.

Would it be legal to have some kind of "blown" rear suspension, taking some air and feeding it toward the rims? Not sure how realistic this is.

[mwillems]

Brake cooling.

I actually think they're also doing something internal to the car, relating to airflow and cooling.

Would it be legal to have some kind of "blown" rear suspension, taking some air and feeding it toward the rims? Not sure how realistic this is.

Oh I didn't mean towards the tyres, just that the cooling intakes in the body aren't much smaller but the cooling exits are in the 39.

[Macklaren]

Wow, that was an interesting cool down lap for NOR. as soon as he crossed the line, Will came over the radio and said "that was not cool, mate" and Lando replied "what do you mean, the lap?" and Will didn't reply to him or say anything else including confirming his position until parc ferme. Hope all is well there and FIA just didn't transmit all the radio