2025 Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 Team

[Paa]

Gap to Mclaren in Q1 was .324 seconds
Gap to Mclaren in Q2 was .325 seconds
Gap to Mclaren in Q3 was .341 seconds

That might just have been the gap today regardless of any hypothetical laps without wheelspin. I thought Piastri could have gone quicker as well so taking that into account, it makes sense. The gap was 3-3.5 tenths with perfect laps for all.

It was clear Max wasn't going to get the McLarens, but I'm a bit annoyed about Leclerc and he was certainly beatable without the wheelspin.

[Jurgen von Diaz]

Dry or not, Max said he is fighting with Leclerc, not McLarens. He has beaten prime McLarens in Brazil '24, why doesn't he believe he can do it again? His car is now even set up in rain conditions.

[marcel171281]

Amazingly tone deaf from Mekies. Way to start the first race with Jos lol

Laurent Mekies, the new Red Bull team principal, has revealed that he has asked for Yuki Tsunoda's car to also be equipped with the new features before qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix, taking reserve parts for Verstappen from the stockpile. #BelgianGP #RedBullRacing #F1

????

Sprint is done, chances Verstappen needs those spare part this weekend: zero.

[Wouter]

Amazingly tone deaf from Mekies. Way to start the first race with Jos lol


Laurent Mekies, the new Red Bull team principal, has revealed that he has asked for Yuki Tsunoda's car to also be equipped with the new features before qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix, taking reserve parts for Verstappen from the stockpile. #BelgianGP #RedBullRacing #F1

.
HUH???

This sounds like it was Jos who didn't allowed Yuki to get the new floor too!

It was HORNER who didn't allowed Yuki to use a new floor too.

Always blaming Jos for everything. Stop stirring the pot!

[Jurgen von Diaz]

Amazingly tone deaf from Mekies. Way to start the first race with Jos lol

Laurent Mekies, the new Red Bull team principal, has revealed that he has asked for Yuki Tsunoda's car to also be equipped with the new features before qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix, taking reserve parts for Verstappen from the stockpile. #BelgianGP #RedBullRacing #F1

Source?

[search]

Amazingly tone deaf from Mekies. Way to start the first race with Jos lol

Laurent Mekies, the new Red Bull team principal, has revealed that he has asked for Yuki Tsunoda's car to also be equipped with the new features before qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix, taking reserve parts for Verstappen from the stockpile. #BelgianGP #RedBullRacing #F1

Source?

Mekies was interviewed on F1TV after Quali, which I guess is the source for that article. Although he didn't specifically say that it was his call:

"We have upgraded his [Tsuonda's] car just before Qualifying, as we are always pushing to the edge on out car parts quantity. But we decided to take the risk to upgrade his car, that's why we were a bit late for Qualifying, but it was worth the risk for everyone."

[CjC]

Dry or not, Max said he is fighting with Leclerc, not McLarens. He has beaten prime McLarens in Brazil '24, why doesn't he believe he can do it again? His car is now even set up in rain conditions.

Superior tyre management for the McLarens:

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/max-v ... /10745693/

[Emag]

Dry or not, Max said he is fighting with Leclerc, not McLarens. He has beaten prime McLarens in Brazil '24, why doesn't he believe he can do it again? His car is now even set up in rain conditions.

Superior tyre management for the McLarens:

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/max-v ... /10745693/

If its wet all the time, then McLaren aren’t as unbeatable.

However if there is a transition period with changing conditions from wet to dry, both McLarens just completely decimate the competition and there’s almost no chance to beat them. Been like this since last year at the latest.

Silverstone and Canada 2024 are prime examples. McLarens just hanging in when the track was wet, then as soon as it starts drying in places, they go 1.5s faster than RedBull and Mercedes. Insane pace.

[Seanspeed]

Dry or not, Max said he is fighting with Leclerc, not McLarens. He has beaten prime McLarens in Brazil '24, why doesn't he believe he can do it again? His car is now even set up in rain conditions.

Superior tyre management for the McLarens:

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/max-v ... /10745693/

If its wet all the time, then McLaren aren’t as unbeatable.

However if there is a transition period with changing conditions from wet to dry, both McLarens just completely decimate the competition and there’s almost no chance to beat them. Been like this since last year at the latest.

Silverstone and Canada 2024 are prime examples. McLarens just hanging in when the track was wet, then as soon as it starts drying in places, they go 1.5s faster than RedBull and Mercedes. Insane pace.

Pretty much, though Mclaren is still the best car in constant wet conditions as well. Best low+mid speed aero, the best front end, great engine driveability, plus they get their tires up to temperature so effortlessly. It's just that Max at least has a chance of simply out-driving the Mclaren duo through sheer skill superiority.

But with Spa, it's almost never just 'consistently the same wetness the whole time over the whole track', and when it is that kind of more constant or heavier rain, race direction will often just red flag things anyways.

[f1isgood]

With Max, there's always a chance with a subpar car, this much is fairly well established at this point and deniers cant be engaged with, not in any reasonable manner.

McLaren drivers have had enough time to show they will never be as good as Max is -- not a slight on them, just that you dont see someone like Max show up every year. Thats okay as still one of them is gonna get a WDC.

[Jurgen von Diaz]

Dry or not, Max said he is fighting with Leclerc, not McLarens. He has beaten prime McLarens in Brazil '24, why doesn't he believe he can do it again? His car is now even set up in rain conditions.

Superior tyre management for the McLarens:

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/max-v ... /10745693/

I think Max is trying to push the pressure onto McLarens. Never count Max out. If it's wet through the race, there could be a Verstappen effect, where he can find lines that no one else can. And Spa indeed is his favorite track.

[Wouter]

Amazingly tone deaf from Mekies. Way to start the first race with Jos lol

Laurent Mekies, the new Red Bull team principal, has revealed that he has asked for Yuki Tsunoda's car to also be equipped with the new features before qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix, taking reserve parts for Verstappen from the stockpile. #BelgianGP #RedBullRacing #F1

Source?

.
Mekies was interviewed on F1TV after Quali, which I guess is the source for that article. Although he didn't specifically say that it was his call:

"We have upgraded his [Tsuonda's] car just before Qualifying, as we are always pushing to the edge on out car parts quantity. But we decided to take the risk to upgrade his car, that's why we were a bit late for Qualifying, but it was worth the risk for everyone."

.
Yes, it was Mekies who gave his approval to give Yuki the new floor. Yuki thanked him several time for this unexpected present.
Horner would never have give his approval. Yuki was over the moon!

[Sergej]

I guess they are saving a fresh PU considering the wet race ?

[pantherxxx]

Dry or not, Max said he is fighting with Leclerc, not McLarens. He has beaten prime McLarens in Brazil '24, why doesn't he believe he can do it again? His car is now even set up in rain conditions.

Because MCL38 didn't have phase changing materials to always keep the right tyre temperature regardless of conditions. Overheating? No problem. Underheating? No problem. It always perfect temperature like a thermostat. The MCL39 supposedly does, it's the most dominant F1 car in the history of the sport, they just don't have enough good drivers to maximize points.

[Jurgen von Diaz]

Dry or not, Max said he is fighting with Leclerc, not McLarens. He has beaten prime McLarens in Brazil '24, why doesn't he believe he can do it again? His car is now even set up in rain conditions.

Because MCL38 didn't have a phase changing materials to always keep the right tyre temperature regardless of conditions. The MCL39 supposedly does, it's the most dominant F1 car in the history of the sport, they just don't have enough good drivers to maximize points.

Well, Max just overtook and kept McLaren behind him on a dry track in the sprint. On a wet track, I see only possibilities for Max.