2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix - Imola, May 16 - 18

[ringo]

The pace was very strong from Oscar. He was not really in dirty air of Max. Max was showing him a clean pair of heels.

This was one of the better races of the year because of the artificial tyre offset brought on by the SC. Otherwise we still have a very predictable and almost boring formula with cars too close in pace.

Max's move was the highlight, and then some of Norris overtakes. Norris went really well today. His race was top notch. Yes he was behind Russel for too long, but Mercedes arent easy to overtake. After that he made some key moves.

[Watto]

The pace was very strong from Oscar. He was not really in dirty air of Max. Max was showing him a clean pair of heels.

This was one of the better races of the year because of the artificial tyre offset brought on by the SC. Otherwise we still have a very predictable and almost boring formula with cars too close in pace.

Max's move was the highlight, and then some of Norris overtakes. Norris went really well today. His race was top notch. Yes he was behind Russel for too long, but Mercedes arent easy to overtake. After that he made some key moves.

I said the same of Lando in the McLaren thread, Probably stuck behind George too long but it felt like this race Lando was willing to try different lines/moves to overtake and not be predictable.



I think as much as Oscar is coping it a bit for being asleep - and probably was a little - I think it's also probably taking away just how good the move was from Max. I'm a little curious too with the commentators talking about the driving standards for the overtaking car. Max at the apex was pretty much wheel to wheel I wonder if that dictated Oscar had to leave room.

[ringo]

Oscar did not have to leave room, as he was tucked up on the inside, i think he was shocked to see Max there and his reflex was to avoid being damaged. If he was a Perez or Max himself, he would have "understeered" more to the outside.
As good as Max's move was, it was living on a prayer. It was a clinical divebomb that could have resulted in a crash where Piastri would not be blamed for it.

[Watto]

Oscar did not have to leave room, as he was tucked up on the inside, i think he was shocked to see Max there and his reflex was to avoid being damaged. If he was a Perez or Max himself, he would have "understeered" more to the outside.
As good as Max's move was, it was living on a prayer. It was a clinical divebomb that could have resulted in a crash where Piastri would not be blamed for it.

No doubt he was caught a little unaware.

But with the Albon overtake on Charles they mentioned the overtaker being significantly ahead on the outside further ahead than down the inside. Charles came under investigation Ferrari told Charles to hand the place back.

The difference (without knowing the exact guidelines) seems to focus on the over taker, on the inside front tyre to the mirror? iirc.

ON the outside wheel to wheel is further up.

My first though with Charles was he did nothing wrong he had the inside it was his corner.

But it seem there are some guidelines in there about being on the outside. Once Oscar braked a little too early I wonder a little if from there Oscar was almost obligated to leave room.

I think its the issue with not having to leave room I wonder if the lead driver if there is an inside drive bomb will at some point just take the corner as normal risk of taking both drivers out.knowing they are a sitting duck..

[CHT]

With this commanding victory by RBR, Lando, Oscar and Max now have an equal chance of winning the WDC. This will be a close season where none of the driver can afford to make any silly mistake. For that reason I think Max and Oscar will have an advantage over Lando

[Sevach]

Oscar did not have to leave room, as he was tucked up on the inside, i think he was shocked to see Max there and his reflex was to avoid being damaged. If he was a Perez or Max himself, he would have "understeered" more to the outside.
As good as Max's move was, it was living on a prayer. It was a clinical divebomb that could have resulted in a crash where Piastri would not be blamed for it.

With the pace they had at the Miami GP he may have gone in thinking, "he got the lead lap 1, no biggie", and honestly that seemed fair enough.
Hamilton, Verstappen... all of them really... become a lot less "do or die" into T1 if they think they'll get the lead back later anyway, risking losing a wing, a damaged floor, a puncture, with a dominant car isn't smart(Verstappen didn't have many "incidents" in 2023 did he?).

I think the lesson for Oscar is if you can block Russell or Verstappen, chose Verstappen.
Even if Russell looks in a stronger position on the road, he is the one that isn't in the championship and the one you will inevitably get past anyway.
Applies to pretty much any other driver on the grid this season, with the exception of Norris perhaps.

If it's Norris to one side and Max in the other, that's a tough call lol.

[McLarenHonda]

Makes you wonder if there was something found that the FIA had a secret word with McLaren about it. Just like the rumours were there with Red bull after Miami last year.

It’s very out of ordinary that Oscar blew his tyres within 17 laps, when others went for much much longer. Not like he was in dirty air or challenging the car ahead was it.

He probably just tried to undercut and gain track position after seeing how many places Leclerc gained by pitting one lap earlier than Russell.

But traffic didn’t let him use that advantage and Red Bull’s pace was mega…so probably their updates worked.

[Cassius]

Makes you wonder if there was something found that the FIA had a secret word with McLaren about it. Just like the rumours were there with Red bull after Miami last year.

It’s very out of ordinary that Oscar blew his tyres within 17 laps, when others went for much much longer. Not like he was in dirty air or challenging the car ahead was it.

He probably just tried to undercut and gain track position after seeing how many places Leclerc gained by pitting one lap earlier than Russell.

But traffic didn’t let him use that advantage and Red Bull’s pace was mega…so probably their updates worked.

I don't think anything was changed after Miami.

Piastri is still learning on the tyre deg front. In Miami he was struggling on the hards as well.

It is hopefully going to be a great 3-way fight with PIA and VER currently having the edge in qualy vs NOR having the best tyre deg of the three.

[avantman]

It’s very out of ordinary that Oscar blew his tyres within 17 laps, when others went for much much longer. Not like he was in dirty air or challenging the car ahead was it.

It was a carbon copy of his first stints at Suzuka and Jeddah this year. He started to drop off after 15 laps at Suzuka and already after 12 laps in Jeddah. You haven't been following closely.

[chrisc90]

It’s very out of ordinary that Oscar blew his tyres within 17 laps, when others went for much much longer. Not like he was in dirty air or challenging the car ahead was it.

It was a carbon copy of his first stints at Suzuka and Jeddah this year. You haven't been following closely.

Point I’m trying to make is that Oscar wasn’t really pushing Max (who was managing a lot) in order to kill off the tyres.
Some of it I thought that McLaren reacted to liked of Lec and other pitting super early after seeing the undercut, but in reality, Max was still 2-3 tenths faster on a 17 lap medium vs a new hard, Even when Oscar was in free air from being pitted into traffic

[avantman]

It’s very out of ordinary that Oscar blew his tyres within 17 laps, when others went for much much longer. Not like he was in dirty air or challenging the car ahead was it.

It was a carbon copy of his first stints at Suzuka and Jeddah this year. You haven't been following closely.

Point I’m trying to make is that Oscar wasn’t really pushing Max (who was managing a lot) in order to kill off the tyres.
Some of it I thought that McLaren reacted to liked of Lec and other pitting super early after seeing the undercut, but in reality, Max was still 2-3 tenths faster on a 17 lap medium vs a new hard, Even when Oscar was in free air from being pitted into traffic

If Max was genuinely faster in the beginning he would've opened up a bigger gap, at very least 2- 2.5s quickly, but he couldn't. Oscar looked faster in the beginning and was following within 1.2-1.5s for multiple laps behind Max through all those high speed corners, which couldn't not affect his tires. Which added to his innate inferiority in terms of tire managing skills even compared with Norris, leads to such poor stints. Nothing new here whatsoever and nothing to do with the car or its shortcomings. Oscar wasn't in free air on lap 17, his pace dropped off by 1 second after laps 15 and 16. He was already in traffic.
There is of course a probability Mclaren made a slight mistake on cars setup, which affected their race pace (not tire management, which was again the best), we shall see at Barcelona.

[falonso81]

Regarding the Leclerc/Albon incident, it seems that now the attacking driver must only complete 50% of the overtake to be entitled to the position. Drivers abuse this rule and brake late/release the brakes to get ahead at the apex, then cry about being shown the gravel and win the position like that. This looks more like spoiled baby F1.

[SiLo]

I think it was just degradation, because after a few laps the medium runners maintained pace for quite a while. I think Mclaren were just impatient.

[pantherxxx]

If paddock rumors are true, Mclaren will be nowhere after Barcelona Td. And Verstappen was already faster in Imola, he easily controlled the pace, and had excellent tyre life.

[Cs98]

If paddock rumors are true, Mclaren will be nowhere after Barcelona Td. And Verstappen was already faster in Imola, he easily controlled the pace, and had excellent tyre life.

Oh please. No one is seriously expecting McLaren to fall off massively due to this TD. That car is not a one trick pony.