2025 McLaren F1 Team

[12mod8]

Monaco repaves every year

[Cs98]

If we can replicate the pace of Singapore, then pit stops and the number of them won't be a problem.

Very different car the MCL39. Pole will probably be won by the driver able to put together the most confidence over the first two days.

Lando was already complaining of bumps in Imola, while Monaco is a bumpier circuit no?

Rode the bumps well enough to take pole. Monaco rewards cars with great grip on the front axle, that's the McLaren.

[Emag]

McLaren reveal they are making front geometry changes for Monaco (along with an all new rear wing). I think this may be to try to dial out some of the peakiness, the unpredictability on the limit, for this unforgiving circuit.
https://www.planetf1.com/news/mclaren-i ... itle-fight

Everyone brings Monaco-specific parts, this is not unique to McLaren. At the bare minimum, everyone changes the steering rack, otherwise they wouldn't be able to go through the hairpin.

[CjC]

Cue the ‘they were quick in Imola’ comment from Lando

[CjC]

Stella actually tipped Ferrari to be good in Monaco.

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/apple ... /10725528/

The article was posted online half way through the session

[Mansell89]

Remember the Ferrari PU is always brilliant around here as is homeboy Charles, who is stellar.

[mwillems]

Despite attempts previously to frame articles to suggest Oscar stated there are no issues with the car, here is Oscar discussing the cars unpredictability on Saturday.

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/arti ... wAbHjm9ZJY

[CjC]

Despite attempts previously to frame articles like suggested there are no issues with the car, heres Piastri found no.issue with the car, here's Oscar discussing the cars unpredictability on Saturday.

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/arti ... wAbHjm9ZJY

Yea saw this yesterday. Massively not what you need in Monaco

And with the flexi wing TD next week… the McLaren wins finished in Miami

[mwillems]

Despite attempts previously to frame articles like suggested there are no issues with the car, heres Piastri found no.issue with the car, here's Oscar discussing the cars unpredictability on Saturday.

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/arti ... wAbHjm9ZJY

Yea saw this yesterday. Massively not what you need in Monaco

And with the flexi wing TD next week… the McLaren wins finished in Miami

Ahaha.

You can see from miles away on a foggy day that this weekend has banana skin all over it.
This is exactly the track likely to tease a lockup or oversteer as it has today, and we aren't even on the edge yet.
Hopefully they can get it under control, but I'm even less confident than before.

It'd be interesting to hear what Oscar or the team say about it and wether it was just driver mistake.

[mwillems]

Apparently he locked the front right, which is indeed a bit odd for turn 1.

On team stream, about 2 or 3 messages before the crash, the team instruct Piastri to practise T1 again, possibly an attempt to find the margin.

Lando complaining about understeer, hopefully it can be dialled out.

Very worried for Saturday now

[CjC]

They seems fairly confident:

https://www.racefans.net/2025/05/23/pia ... messy-day/

Just the usual ‘getting it all together’

[mwillems]

Yeah, it's the fact that it's hard to get it all together that's the issue, I don't doubt they have the pace, it's just that it's borderline useless here if you can't extract it in in Qualy trim.

[Magistos]

Indeed, given whoever starts at pole in Monaco tends to win because of the general inability to pass, everything is stepped up a day to "win" pole in qualifying trim. Which, teams always try to do, but McLaren has been able to rely on their race pace to make up for Q round issues (for the most part) so far this year

[Macklaren]

Anyone think it's a boon for us to have 2 cars up front to split the strategy? Pit the second car on lap 1?

[CjC]

I doubt it, one driver will end up with the ‘correct’ strategy which will go against the ‘fairness’ rules for the drivers