2025 Spanish Grand Prix - Barcelona-Catalunya May 30 - June 1

[selvam_e2002]

Is RB deliberately requested Lawson to slow down after Max had an incident with Russel? Max may get 10 seconds penalty after the incident. If Lawson did not slow down Max may be out of point.

[r85]

McLaren pulling out 10s on Leclerc after the safety car is pure Mercedes 2020.

You are comparing fastest car on the grid vs 4th fastest car.?

Leclerc was told to do LICO & their pace was horrible on that used softs. I don’t think that’s a true comparison. I wonder what would have happened if Max had a used softs for that final 5-6Laps.

LiCo was worth 1 tenth on the straight. I don't deny that their pace was horrible on the used softs but no one was a match for the McLaren anyway.

[Farnborough]

Judging by both Ferrari pace at end, there's suspicion that they were very close to fuel limits then. It'd be embarrassing to stop and relinquish those points right at the end, so more drastic mode needed to complete.

SC would have saved some, but looked suspiciously like they've started race right on margin for the ultimate pace that prevailed.

[search]

Is RB deliberately requested Lawson to slow down after Max had an incident with Russel? Max may get 10 seconds penalty after the incident. If Lawson did not slow down Max may be out of point.

Lawson was the 1st car on old tires, so could be expected to lose time. His lap times were on line with what he did before the safety car:



in the slow lap (20.9) he was passed by Alonso.

[Quantum]

Guys, guys. Look at the overhead footage. Ahead. At the apex. I'm not a steward, take it up with them and their Guidebook. While you are at it, ask them why they do not adhere to it.

Sky showed George's front axle well ahead of Max's mirror before the apex. That is what is defined as corner ownership.

[Quantum]

For being the self proclaimed pinnacle of racing, they can’t run a race for crap. No other series has as many problems with this and just basic race direction

There has to be some blame for the rules too. These car's are far too big and too stiff.

[avantman]

Guys, guys. Look at the overhead footage. Ahead. At the apex. I'm not a steward, take it up with them and their Guidebook. While you are at it, ask them why they do not adhere to it.

Sky showed George's front axle well ahead of Max's mirror before the apex. That is what is defined as corner ownership.

that's not important if a driver cannot retain full control of his car and complete a clean move. Russell hit Max trying to make a pass having much more than a cars width left for him on the inside. That doesn't mean he must have been penalised for that. But I could not imagine Jonathan Wheatley had he been still in charge would've told Max to 'give a position back', because Russell never took a position ahead in fair manner, he was never ahead and Max did not gain any lasting advantage there (only reason why potential penalty). The amount of all sorts of operational mistakes Red bull racing makes this days has been telling. I would be interested to know who exactly made that call to order Max let Russell by. It was a very poorly judged call. Was it their new sporting director, GP himself, because he said 'my advice...'? And of course the FIA played a huge part in all that, just as they famously did in Austria 2024, when a clear cut violation and a penalty for Norris, wasn't a penalty until the incident between Max and ladno happened. The steward should've given Lando +5s penalty three laps earlier and nothing would've happened after. At Barcelona they should've immediately closed the case on T1 incident releasing 'no further action' message.

[avantman]

I tried to find some footages of Leclerc using his car as a weapon against Norris in Barcelona last year, but could not. For all of those saying they never seen anything like what Ver did against Rus since 1997. By the way, did he get a ban for his red mist rage moment?
Same question about Perez 100% deliberate move against Sirotkin which resulted in car damages.
and finally. If safety is truly a priority of the FIA are doing very poor job leaving such moves as Leclerc did on Max unpenalised. We saw that exact, but much less blatant move of Sainz against Perez in Baku led to very big and potentially very dangerous accident. They just keep sweeping these incidents under the carpet, calling them racing incidents, meaning no driver could or should have done anything different to avoid a crash. These drivers will keep making those moves, because that's how you can gain a position apparently. These moves far more dangerous than anything that Verstappen did throughout his whole career.

[basti313]

That doesn't mean he must have been penalised for that.

He would have been. Giving Max a pen is never wrong, the stewards know this.
But I totally agree, that was the wrong call. Just stay ahead, they knew, they do not stand a chance on the hards and would have just received a +5s that puts them back behind Rus. (ignoring the bonus for Max, that might also added to a +10 )

No, seriously...he is an idiot. But, good lord, an idiot that can drive a car like no one else.
That save out of turn 1...masterclass. Maybe Ham would have saved it too...but 18 out of 20 current F1 drivers would have put the car full bean into the wall for a red flag after this snap. And would not have kept the foot down. I do not remember a similar safe except the Brazil one in modern F1, we need to look back into Schumacher/Senna times for such things.
Or the wheel high 5 with George. Beautiful! Honestly, how can you control a car like this? Understeering precisely into a car going full pace around a corner? The wheel high 5 Vettel vs. Ham was already good, but that was at a speed you can nearly do on a bicycle. Here we saw the mother of all High 5s!

So this comes to the issue of this season. Without Max this season would be boring. Lando just does not have in him to put up a real fight to Pia at this consistency and Max is the only one constantly poking on the two. Shame he wastes the small WDC excitement (not chance) on a tango with George...

Now...big, big, excitement for the next race (I fear it is only next race before pen points reduce?):
Will Max manage the 12 points?

I soooo much want to see Hadjar vs. Tsunoda in this Bull

[FittingMechanics]

There is no doubt that Max deserved a severe penalty.

I feel that the stewards wanted to quickly reach a decision so that the penalty is known during the race. Not sure I agree in this case, Max was in P5 so wasn't going to take part in podium celebration so there was no need to rush. With there only being 2-3 laps left they should have left it after the race, looked at all the footage and taken driver/team statements. If this was a deliberate attempt to crash into Russell (which it was), it should have been a much harsher penalty.

Whatever happened laps before is a different incident. Even if Russell punted Verstappen off by divebombing, Verstappen has no right (or excuse) to retaliate by crashing into another car.

[Mattchu]

This is the usual reminder to many here that many people from Max Verstappen’s fan club / forums post here, including several admins from there.

So some of these posts are not surprising at all.

It`s a shame what this site has become! Too many PR/team representatives pushing agendas nowadays...

[CMSMJ1]

It`s a shame what this site has become! Too many PR/team representatives pushing agendas nowadays...

Quoting for a response to both and with a fair poke at many of the rest!

It is a shame that forum members are incapable of a reasonable discussion - there is no place for personal digs, calling drivers retards, wishing ill upon them, braying and crowing about "your" team lik you are a twelve year old

This is the usual reminder to many here that many people from Max Verstappen’s fan club / forums post here, including several admins from there.

So some of these posts are not surprising at all.

there have been some appalling takes on the race we've seen yesterday - how anyone can get from a 'racing incident' to a full on intentional barging and to equivocate the two is frankly amazing. To then get into the absolute shitfest of wanting people to be knocked out a la silverstone 21 is ridiculous.

So - everyone - let's have the collective heads a wobble - get on top of your juvenile fanboy explosions and pull together back towards sensible, adult and respectful discourse.

[zeph]

Supposedly this is Verstappen’s onboard cam:

https://x.com/f1bigdata/status/19295412 ... 9wmaeyXa4Q

Different perspective…

[dialtone]

Supposedly this is Verstappen’s onboard cam:

https://x.com/f1bigdata/status/19295412 ... 9wmaeyXa4Q

Different perspective…

4 times he checks for Russell, then accelerated and didn’t turn for the corner.

Stewards love this kid.

[zeph]

I do admire the precision with which only the wheels touch, while turning at high speeds.