2025 McLaren F1 Team

[BMMR61]

I think everyone at McLaren will be pleasantly surprised at the margins, knowing that under dry and warm conditions they would tend to have the tyre advantage. (their advanced brake duct technology?)

I'd like to see a more detailed look at Max's T2 - was he fighting a snap of oversteer or did he simply open the wheel? I guess the murky merry-go-round regulations make his actions moot any way. In a tight lap 1 field, "pass or be passed" is the normal. Lando really had minimal choices with Max's T1 error and the closing gap between them, even if turn 2 isn't by any means an outside pass opportunity. I wouldn't use the line of Lando's "inferior racecraft" to define it, more circumstance.

Did Oscar intentionally play out his 8.5 second lead during the second half of his hard tyre stint to protect the tyres for any late race battle? I have little doubt that Lando had better tyre management going on but as Stella has said in the past, Oscar's learning of these things isn't just measured season to season but from Sprint Race to Grand Prix the following day.

With a 105 point lead to Mercedes even with 18 races and 4 sprints to go it looks very comfortable. A great McLaren day and the omens for Piastri are good - the last McLaren driver to win three in a row was Mika and that finished well!
I don't think he will be beaten by pressure, just by a faster driver.

[BMMR61]

Oscar Piastri - old head on young shoulders? Two races in a row he has, in my eyes at least, forced the mistake from Max. This was a patient and intelligent attack which minimised risk against a very dangerous opponent, and skipped in and out of the dirty air making Max work very hard. The positioning of the car in anticipation of Max's eventual lock-up was sublime. Yes sure, the McLaren had a very healthy advantage but passing Max for the lead is always serious business. This battle (Max v Oscar) looks very interesting as I have no doubt that Max and Red Bull haven't waved surrender by any means. There will be days when Lando is untouchable and those days Oscar will likely settle for second place but in the heat of battle, Lando will need to up his game, can he do it?

[AR3-GP]

Oscar Piastri - old head on young shoulders? Two races in a row he has, in my eyes at least, forced the mistake from Max. This was a patient and intelligent attack which minimised risk against a very dangerous opponent, and skipped in and out of the dirty air making Max work very hard. The positioning of the car in anticipation of Max's eventual lock-up was sublime. Yes sure, the McLaren had a very healthy advantage but passing Max for the lead is always serious business. This battle (Max v Oscar) looks very interesting as I have no doubt that Max and Red Bull haven't waved surrender by any means.

1 driver has a car that is 1 second faster than the other. Without such a margin, Oscar would never have passed Max and that's all there is to truthfully say about the rivalry. If he can do that with Max in equal cars, then a different conversation can be had.

It's a brilliant effort by Andrea, Peter, and Rob. What a machine they have created. Credit to the drivers as well for fulfilling the minimum expectation. They haven't had it since Australia/China, somehow.

[Watto]

I think everyone at McLaren will be pleasantly surprised at the margins, knowing that under dry and warm conditions they would tend to have the tyre advantage. (their advanced brake duct technology?)

I'd like to see a more detailed look at Max's T2 - was he fighting a snap of oversteer or did he simply open the wheel? I guess the murky merry-go-round regulations make his actions moot any way. In a tight lap 1 field, "pass or be passed" is the normal. Lando really had minimal choices with Max's T1 error and the closing gap between them, even if turn 2 isn't by any means an outside pass opportunity. I wouldn't use the line of Lando's "inferior racecraft" to define it, more circumstance.

Did Oscar intentionally play out his 8.5 second lead during the second half of his hard tyre stint to protect the tyres for any late race battle? I have little doubt that Lando had better tyre management going on but as Stella has said in the past, Oscar's learning of these things isn't just measured season to season but from Sprint Race to Grand Prix the following day.

With a 105 point lead to Mercedes even with 18 races and 4 sprints to go it looks very comfortable. A great McLaren day and the omens for Piastri are good - the last McLaren driver to win three in a row was Mika and that finished well!
I don't think he will be beaten by pressure, just by a faster driver.

Saw someone mention they looked at the T2 incident post race and showed Max got some wheel spin that puhed him wide


Very mature drive from Piastri. too

[AR3-GP]

[venkyhere]

Norris, Stella, and all members here who want to 'downplay' the car advantage that you have :

Accept.
Accept that the MCL39 is a DOMINANT car.
Stop underselling the car and overselling your drivers.

[Macklaren]

After that season where Red Bull won every race other than Singapore, you guys should really complain less about a "dominant" car.

Mclaren has won 5 out of 6 races. They are still on target to match the RB19 and their drivers are not even driving that well. That speaks volumes about the car.

Yes, it is the best car of all time. I hope that it takes away that throne from RB19. If that makes you sleep better, there you go.

If the MCL39 can win every remaining race, it will easily take the best average finish over the season crown. Is that with the RB19 or still with the MP4/4?

[DiogoBrand]

Wow you guys are salty.

[DiogoBrand]

Mclaren has won 5 out of 6 races. They are still on target to match the RB19 and their drivers are not even driving that well. That speaks volumes about the car.

Yes, it is the best car of all time. I hope that it takes away that throne from RB19. If that makes you sleep better, there you go.

If the MCL39 can win every remaining race, it will easily take the best average finish over the season crown. Is that with the RB19 or still with the MP4/4?

First of all, highly unlikely at this point.
The current record is from RB19. Both cars won all races but one, but since 2023 had more races, the win percentage is higher for RBR.

[Mostlyeels]

Something I noticed a bit during Oscar's race laps was how well the car was taking the curbs through the chicane. Certainly an improvement over a few years ago, when it was like watching an ironing board.

[DiogoBrand]

Something I noticed a bit during Oscar's race laps was how well the car was taking the curbs through the chicane. Certainly an improvement over a few years ago, when it was like watching an ironing board.

Could it be that the massive anti dive geometry allows them to run a softer bump setup while not suffering the consequences as much on braking and cornering?

[BMMR61]

Norris, Stella, and all members here who want to 'downplay' the car advantage that you have :

Accept.
Accept that the MCL39 is a DOMINANT car.
Stop underselling the car and overselling your drivers.

Accept that at Miami in race conditions the MCL39 is UTTERLY DOMINANT.
Accept that overall MCL39 is the best car at most if not all circuits encountered so far.

They have easily a WDC and WCC winning car - if one of the other teams don't deliver a 2024 Miami McLaren upgrade.

It seems almost foolish for me to state these things they are that obvious. Way too soon to make extravagant claims after 6 races but THAT WAS DOMINANT!

[BMMR61]

Something I noticed a bit during Oscar's race laps was how well the car was taking the curbs through the chicane. Certainly an improvement over a few years ago, when it was like watching an ironing board.

Yeah I think it augers well for a good performance at Monaco where Max will have to drag everything out of that car to be on the podium and even Charles will have his work cut out on his home circuit. The front end and kerb-taking stability is mega. (I hope this doesn't age badly!)

[DiogoBrand]

Norris, Stella, and all members here who want to 'downplay' the car advantage that you have :

Accept.
Accept that the MCL39 is a DOMINANT car.
Stop underselling the car and overselling your drivers.

Accept that at Miami in race conditions the MCL39 is UTTERLY DOMINANT.
Accept that overall MCL39 is the best car at most if not all circuits encountered so far.

They have easily a WDC and WCC winning car - if one of the other teams don't deliver a 2024 Miami McLaren upgrade.

It seems almost foolish for me to state these things they are that obvious. Way too soon to make extravagant claims after 6 races but THAT WAS DOMINANT!

I mean, what do people expect Stella to say? "Our drivers are okay at best but we built a rocketship so even my grandmother would win on that?" Wouldn't do much good for the team atmosphere if I had to guess.
I also don't understand all the fuss, considering that just two years ago Red Bull had such a dominant car that even Perez could finish 2nd on the WDC.

[geogate]

People seem to only be comfortable with these absolutist positions and cant handle nuance. Yes at Miami, in the conditions, the Mclaren was easily the best car by a very large margin - but guess what, Mclaren knew that, and informed both drivers that their race pace would be sufficient that no risks should be taken for positions.
Probably why both drivers left a little on the table in qualifying too.
Stella hasnt down played the cars performance, he has got it right just about every time.