F1- 2025 season

[mr.bluesky]

Emma Noble ... she was married to John Major's (PM) son James ... hostess for Bruce Forsyths 'Price is Right'

  you know your wimin

[chrishornx]

well done shaft

[webpunter]

As for lasting the season i can see this coming to a close much sooner than that

Its common knowledge that the RB is set up for Max who likes the set up with a sharp front end on it
Making it as quick as is possible a challenge to handle this on the edge all the time which he is able to do
They will be able to soften this for the 2nd driver but only so much, Perez the most recent to evidence this
Its fractions of seconds around the track & these add up

In quali on limited fuel & the fastest tyres the differential between drivers on a flat out lap becomes more evident
In an hour & a half racecraft dealing with other drivers comes to the fore

It didnt help Lawson that Hadjar in the sister car came 7th in quali
Tsunoda was half a second back from Hadjar, which is an age
A good reliable performance by Tsunoda & also good for sponsors fans in the far east 
If Lawson doesnt get his act together sharpish & if Hadjar excels in the race tomorrow & future quali / races IMO it wont take long for Karen to put Hadjar in a RB for testing
See if he can cope with the car
Lawson will find out about this well before it even happens denting his confidence

Karen will know that MV's dominance isnt going to happen this season & RB need a 2nd driver clocking up the points
Otherwise the constructors title & the riches prestige it brings will rapidly become a no hoper 

MV will want a wing man of sorts [even for him] its better to have one so will be applying pressure too
RB are up against known quantities @ McLaren, Lewis is a shoe in @ Ferrari and Antonelli is showing promise @ Mercedes
If Hadjar's performances continue with Lawson at the back i can see Karen pressing the button
And soon
Saudi Arabia is a very fast track & i reck by then soon thereafter there could be a driver swap

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Red Bull set to swap Lawson for Tsunoda, according to reports

It would appear that my crystal ball is polished
Well of sorts
The timeline is up-the-spout 

A driver swap would appear to be on the cards
Yet i picked the wrong driver out of RB2
Tsunoda rather than Hadjar it would appear
Karen appears to have gone for the safe [er] bet out of the two RB2 drivers
Hadjar is the new kid on the block grid, on a steep learning curve
Longer term i think he has more potential, Tsunoda has been in the car & is fast but not that fast
Fast enuf to pick up points maybe
& keep the far east fans & viewing audience happy

On the other hand Hadjar could yet prove that he is the quicker driver of the two
MV doesnt give a monkeys about the constructors title
He's only interested in one thing, obvs
I'm thinking that MV - who will have had a say in the matter [with his dad in the loop] - that he's backed Tsunoda
Concerned about Hadjar being an unknown quantity & potentially getting close to / matching him

Lets see what happens if a driver change by the Japan F1
If it is Tsunoda i would 'really really luv it' if Hadjar in a RB2 beat Tsunoda in RB1
Or in the next few races thereafter
Karen will be in touch telling RB2 to slow their cars

[shaft10]

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Red Bull set to swap Lawson for Tsunoda, according to reports


The timeline is up-the-spout 

I think it stinks to the high heavens that they are even allowed to swap a driver out so early in season .. surely using a 2 teams approach is akin to cheating ..

Hopefully Ferrari get their shit together ASAP and can take the fight to them along with McLaren

[Blackpool Rock]

I think it stinks to the high heavens that they are even allowed to swap a driver out so early in season .. surely using a 2 teams approach is akin to cheating ..

Hopefully Ferrari get their shit together ASAP and can take the fight to them along with McLaren

Like Max; Karen or RB will be bothered about that 

[timsussex]

I think it stinks to the high heavens that they are even allowed to swap a driver out so early in season .. surely using a 2 teams approach is akin to cheating ..

Hopefully Ferrari get their shit together ASAP and can take the fight to them along with McLaren

Other teams have done it (although not so early) and at least RB are honest about it being two teams.
Wasn't Sauber essentially a Ferrari II team and Mercedes were also accused of effectively running a B team
Mid season driver swaps after an under the counter compensation have been made and of course every driver wants to be in one of the top cars

[mr.bluesky]

Other teams have done it (although not so early) and at least RB are honest about it being two teams.
Wasn't Sauber essentially a Ferrari II team and Mercedes were also accused of effectively running a B team
Mid season driver swaps after an under the counter compensation have been made and of course every driver wants to be in one of the top cars

Sauber had Ferrari engines that's true but then a lot of teams have independent engine suppliers When Red Bull had testing restrictions placed on them for their budget indiscretions not so long ago there was nothing to stop them using the Toro Rosso team to help improve their cars . 
Having a Japanese driver move to Red Bull in time for the Japanese Grand Prix no doubt will boost the teams Profile and commercial opportunities.

[webpunter]

In terms of timings Lawson is unlucky with the Japanese GP being next up

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Honda have been wedging up RB2 to keep Tsunoda in the drivers seat
& the lure of extra ¥en hard to resist in a race budget / cost cap driven era

IMO had the Japanese been the next but one race the likelihood of Lawson being given another chance would have been higher
He hasnt been given the time to [try to] get to know the RB
Yes stuff on the simulator & pre season though a tough ask to acclimatize to the very edgy RB

Saw an interview with Albon who provided an analogy as to what the RB is like
[he drove the RB & didnt last long]
He described it as having a mouse on a pc set to super fast [& some], its all over the screen with the slightest movement

Its only MV who can tame it
i'm not convinced that Tsunoda will be any better than Lawson
The 2nd RB driver graveyard
There's a long list & IMO being a member isn't adverse on a driver CV

It will be ace if Lawson in RB2 can beat Tsunoda at the weekend
That will really be a dilemma for Karen
🤞🤞

[shaft10]

In terms of timings Lawson is unlucky with the Japanese GP being next up


It will be ace if Lawson in RB2 can beat Tsunoda at the weekend
That will really be a dilemma for Karen
🤞🤞

My thoughts exactly ... I'll piss myself if this happens 

[Gunner98]

As much as I hate the RedBull organisation, I'll be rooting for Yuki. Hope he performs well, plus he has Max beside him at all times now so it would be some much needed guidance that pushes Yuki further forward.

[webpunter]

My thoughts exactly ... I'll piss myself if this happens 

I looked at the weather forecast
Unfortunately no rain
Japan can have some intense downfall
Which evens things up between the teams
& Tsunoda first race in the on the edge RB could find it difficult enuf in the dry let alone when its pissing down

[mr.bluesky]

I looked at the weather forecast
Unfortunately no rain
Japan can have some intense downfall
Which evens things up between the teams
& Tsunoda first race in the on the edge RB could find it difficult enuf in the dry let alone when its pissing down

Yeah the Japanese Grand Prix always used to be towards the end of the season and it was nearly always wet !

[Count Duckula]

I would love to watch F1 again, its been a while, but when I try to find out how much it is on sky to watch LIVE, it says I need another Sky package first then I can upgrade.

Therein lies the problem, I wouldn't watch anything else on Sky, so it makes it difficult, I know I am dumb, but not dumb enough to pay for channels I know I won't ever watch.

I can't even subscribe directly through the FIA website, due to being in the UK and SKY having the deal for a few more years. (I dont understand VPN's, nor do I really want to learn)

 

try now tv can do just 1 day membership - dont watch every race live these days so the highlights are fine form most but for those i do want to watch live i just use a days subscription

[webpunter]

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‘We have a duty of care to protect and develop Liam’ – Horner opens up on decision to replace Lawson at Red Bull

Utter bollocks from Karen     

I wonder what duty of care Karen displayed when he [allegedly] banged one of his assistants then ditched her when his missus found out & got her fired
There was a supposed investigation which cleared Karen, quelle surprise
The independent high end lawyer engaged to do this was ..... wait for it ...... paid for by RB 

Karen knows that this season MV will struggle to win the driver championship
& is seeing the constructor title go up in smoke even quicker than last season

His missus is all smiles / happy families on Drive To Survive
Fuck knows what Karen had to agree to, to get her to do this
Wonder if he's allowed back in Horner Towers yet ? 

[Gunner98]

Yeah the Japanese Grand Prix always used to be towards the end of the season and it was nearly always wet !

Nothing beats Suzuka at the tail end of a season. Wasn't alive to see it but 89 and 90 Suzuka would've been one entertaining watch as a McLaren/Senna fan.

[Blackpool Rock]

F1 pub quiz with Hamilton; Button and Eddie Jordan 

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[mr.bluesky]

Nothing beats Suzuka at the tail end of a season. Wasn't alive to see it but 89 and 90 Suzuka would've been one entertaining watch as a McLaren/Senna fan.

Senna was an absolute master in wet conditions.

[Gunner98]

Senna was an absolute master in wet conditions.

That onboard of his at Monaco in the wet is insane. He will forever be my GOAT in F1. Robbed of 89 and would've most likely snatched up 94(Schumacher), 96(Hill) and 97(Villeneuve) championships if he didn't pass away in 94.

[Blackpool Rock]

That onboard of his at Monaco in the wet is insane. He will forever be my GOAT in F1. Robbed of 89 and would've most likely snatched up 94(Schumacher), 96(Hill) and 97(Villeneuve) championships if he didn't pass away in 94.

I've got the "Senna" DVD, not watched it for a while but may have to dust it down again, that Monaco race in the pissing rain was his "Breakout" event and it was a travesty that the race got stopped mainly by Prost asking for it as he knew he was going to get his arse kicked if it continued

I mean Tolman weren't contenders but that got him noticed by the big hitters and everyone wanted him in their car after that as he was clearly such a raw talent

[webpunter]

I've got the "Senna" DVD, not watched it for a while but may have to dust it down again, that Monaco race in the pissing rain was his "Breakout" event and it was a travesty that the race got stopped mainly by Prost asking for it as he knew he was going to get his arse kicked if it continued

I mean Tolman weren't contenders but that got him noticed by the big hitters and everyone wanted him in their car after that as he was clearly such a raw talent

When it is pissing rain standout drivers can get noticed
George Russell who spanked it in quali in Spa 2021
Toto didnt miss this & Bottas was toast

A shame that the FIA decided that the 'race' - all of a few laps behind the safety car - did somehow comprise a race
So they could avoid refunding fans who had bought tickets
& to give their poster boy & fave team 1/2 points [where did the invention of 1/2 points come from  ]
This didnt work out well as everyone knows that RB are a bunch of cheating cunts not least of which is their angelic team principal Karen 

[mr.bluesky]

Looks like Jack Doohan could be the next driver to face the axe from the Alpine team . A big crash in practice for this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix hasn't helped his cause.  Perhaps he should have followed his old man Mick Doohan into motor bike racing instead 

[webpunter]

Karen's tactical acumen is showing again
Lawson [in the slower car] edging Tsunoda in quali
A shame Tsunoda didnt come last in quali matching Lawson's effort & RB back to square one
Square one nearly apart from one thing, ¥ millions from Honda
Come on Liam

[webpunter]

Nepotism doesn't work well in F1
Despite millions spent on driver training by his dad Stroll managed err .... last
I wonder if Daddy will get shot of him like Karen with Lawson ?   

[mr.bluesky]

Nepotism doesn't work well in F1
Despite millions spent on driver training by his dad Stroll managed err .... last
I wonder if Daddy will get shot of him like Karen with Lawson ?   

Not a cat in hells chance of Stroll getting the axe not with Daady pulling the purse strings.

[webpunter]

Not a cat in hells chance of Stroll getting the axe not with Daady pulling the purse strings.

Obvs, note the 
At any other team he would be toast
He will have been given extensive training & time in the car for practice
Plus the car will be set up for his driving style
Contrast this with Alonso he'll be like on the car "whatever i'll drive it", have driven a few cars along the way

[shaft10]

Obvs, note the 
At any other team he would be toast
He will have been given extensive training & time in the car for practice
Plus the car will be set up for his driving style
Contrast this with Alonso he'll be like on the car "whatever i'll drive it", have driven a few cars along the way

Stroll would have been gone years ago at any other team ... he's possibly the worst driver on the grid given his experience. Other drivers must resent him a bit ...

There will come a point where if Aston Martin come good, they'll have to get rid or he'll cost them points/ potential championships. Adrian Newey there now so I'd expect an upturn in a year or two. Should be interesting

[webpunter]

Stroll would have been gone years ago at any other team ... he's possibly the worst driver on the grid given his experience. Other drivers must resent him a bit ...

There will come a point where if Aston Martin come good, they'll have to get rid or he'll cost them points/ potential championships. Adrian Newey there now so I'd expect an upturn in a year or two. Should be interesting

Perhaps resentment from a few drivers lower down the pecking order who know they are miles faster than Stroll in what is a fast car
There doesnt seem to be any commentary from the teams Sky F1 sports as to quite how crap he is
They dont want to cause any ripples in the F1 pond & the other teams are fine to preserve the status quo

There's no point Newey making the car faster if Stroll can't drive it
Any change will be very slow as Daddy wont want to see his son fail
Daddy is desperate so Newey has banked a bundle however at some point car speed needs to be translated to on track performance, see what input Newy has in due course

All the other drivers have some spikeyness about them
There is desire
Stroll is spikey in all the wrong ways on the track & complaining when he feels he has been wronged [Daddy please help]

Stroll comes across that he's not really into being an F1 driver but is doing it given the benefits [model GF par example] & he doesnt want to disapoint Daddy
He'd much rather spend his time enjoying the benefits of being a billionaire's son without having to do anything
James Hunt 'sex is the breakfast of champions' is the polar opposite of Stroll
His model GF may have eyes on the prize & maybe she's on Daddy's payroll ? 

Its Daddy living the dream its not costing him much in the grand scheme of things & it helps with his business stuff so keep things going

[mr.bluesky]

So all this pre season hype / bullshit that Red Bull were miles behind on performance compared to McLaren was not evident in the Japanese Grand Prix with Max Brat getting pole position and winning the race virtually from start to finish 🙄.  A pity it didn't rain like it usually does as it might have made a very dull race a bit more interesting

[shaft10]

Its a difficult track to overtake on, once MV got pole it was pretty much nailed on for him to win IMO. Not sure rain would've helped our cause as he's shit hot in the wet.

As long as RB dont win the Constructors Championship I'll be happy, as thats the one Karen wants and gets judged on. I think Max will be hard to beat as he just performs consistently ... he rarely makes a mistake ....unfortunately

[mr.bluesky]

Its a difficult track to overtake on, once MV got pole it was pretty much nailed on for him to win IMO. Not sure rain would've helped our cause as he's shit hot in the wet.

True Max brat would have still won the race but a wet weather race would have made it more interesting as regards drivers further down the field. Once Max brat took the lead it was race over , a near two hour procession with no overtaking or incidents zzzzzzzz

[Gunner98]

So all this pre season hype / bullshit that Red Bull were miles behind on performance compared to McLaren was not evident in the Japanese Grand Prix with Max Brat getting pole position and winning the race virtually from start to finish 🙄.  A pity it didn't rain like it usually does as it might have made a very dull race a bit more interesting

McLaren is definitely the fastest by a long shot. It just comes down to maximising a cars true potential. Lando/Oscar can reach 90% whereas Max can get 99.9% out of a car which closes down the McLaren's speed over tracks like Suzuka where overtaking is difficult. But McLaren strategists, Stella, Brown have thrown away a good 7-8 races since last season from stupid strategies and papaya rules. They've clearly shown they're afraid to make the difficult decisions which is such a loser mentality. Just feel sorry for the engineers back in Woking producing such a beastly car

[Blackpool Rock]

Not watched it for a few years but I see the film Senna is on C4 tonight at 11.00 just after the Qualifying highlights

[mr.bluesky]

Not watched it for a few years but I see the film Senna is on C4 tonight at 11.00 just after the Qualifying highlights

A good documentary/film I had this on dvd when it came out. Intense rivalry at the time with Prost. I remember watching the race where he had his fatal accident. It was a bad race weekend as Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger was also killed the day before in practice.
Strangely enough Prost later became patron of the Senna charity foundation . Brazil declared a national day of mourning after his fatal crash.The Williams team were never the same after this.

[mr.bluesky]

I wonder if Hamilton is regretting his move to Ferrari  They seem as inept at making tactical decisions as they ever were taking a long time to tell  Leclerc to move over and let Hamilton pass who was on better tyres which cost Hamilton time in chasing down the car in front of the Ferrari's. Red Bull and Max brat have the pace in qualifying over McLaren but get blown away in race conditions. Norris never learns that if you try and go elbow to elbow with Max Brat it will end in tears. This undoubtedly cost Lando the race giving victory to his team mate. Piastri must now be favourite to win the drivers title this year and further down the line team orders will come into play. Another podium for Russell 

[shaft10]

I wonder if Hamilton is regretting his move to Ferrari  They seem as inept at making tactical decisions as they ever were taking a long time to tell  Leclerc to move over and let Hamilton pass who was on better tyres which cost Hamilton time in chasing down the car in front of the Ferrari's. Red Bull and Max brat have the pace in qualifying over McLaren but get blown away in race conditions. Norris never learns that if you try and go elbow to elbow with Max Brat it will end in tears. This undoubtedly cost Lando the race giving victory to his team mate. Piastri must now be favourite to win the drivers title this year and further down the line team orders will come into play. Another podium for Russell 

I've been thinking the same ... thing is we all know Ferrari's pit wall decision making has cost them for a good few years now so he surely must have known what he was getting into .. they have the pace (according to LH) they just need to unlock it.

As for Piastri I think he just looks calmer when the pressure is on, a bit more calculated than Lando ... its certainly more interesting than the past few seasons now we have a more open championship. MV feeling the pressure, locking up a few times in the race ... happy days

[webpunter]

I wonder if Hamilton is regretting his move to Ferrari  They seem as inept at making tactical decisions as they ever were taking a long time to tell  Leclerc to move over and let Hamilton pass who was on better tyres which cost Hamilton time in chasing down the car in front of the Ferrari's

They've demonstrated on many occasions how inept they are over the years
Though they dont seem quite so poor this year, maybe as LH has arrived
Had the positions been the other way round the decision would have been made faster, obvs
What they should have done is let LH through who could have pulled Leclerc along with DRS
It took Lewis making comments that he was burning his tyres stuck behind Leclerc to help them in their [slow] decision making, them not wanting to offend Leclerc

They lost the window when LH's tyres were at their best
Had they completed the switch three laps earlier likely that LH could have hauled in Antonelli / got closer
& then with a few laps remaining switch back & let Leclerc on it whose tyres were coming in
Ferrari are like keystone cops

Amusing LH mentioning “have a tea-break while you’re at it”
It got better when LH's engineer told him Sainz 1.4 behind
“You want me to let him past as well ?"
Quality 

As for regretting the move we dont know what the exit options on LHs contract with Mercedes were
Timed with Sainz's contract not being renewed
The lure of Ferrari is strong for drivers
IMO LH's eyes on 2026 with the car changes, a wider role as brand ambassador & not forgetting doubling or more what he gets paid
Having been at Mercedes for so long time for a change of scenery could have played a part

[webpunter]

As for Piastri I think he just looks calmer when the pressure is on, a bit more calculated than Lando ... its certainly more interesting than the past few seasons now we have a more open championship. MV feeling the pressure, locking up a few times in the race ... happy days

Indeed happy days
MV & Karen were pretty anonymous, ideal

Not sure if team orders [as @mr.b highlights] will be easy for McLaren to bring into play if Piastri opens up a gap
Piastri has the ideal manager in Webber & i can't see him rolling over to pressure from the team
The opposite more likely, its not in his aussie ocker character 

Zak Brown comes across very well when Sky hop across to him during in race Q&A's
Karen largely doesnt get a look in phew TFFT avoiding the annoying fucker [there is history between Sky & RB  ], Toto has gone quiet having lost F1's most prominent driver & Vasseur doesnt have the type of character or lingo skills

[Watts.E.Dunn]

Well Lewis might be wishing he was in a McLaren these days!

Look at the results not seconds or fractions thereof more a miniute behind Mr Pastry.

What have McLaren got thats the rest havent?. Anyone any ideas?.

[webpunter]

Well Lewis might be wishing he was in a McLaren these days!

Look at the results not seconds or fractions thereof more a miniute behind Mr Pastry.

What have McLaren got thats the rest havent?. Anyone any ideas?.

On Sky F1 yesterday they remarked that 2 years ago McLaren were at the back of the grid [equivalently about 2 mins by the end of the race] so its some transformation

There was mention that their front wing might be 'out there' on the regulations on which there is an update coming
Tho this is visible which the other teams will analyse
Its not like Brawn with their double diffuser not visible under the car which by the time the other teams realised what they had & developed their own they were far enuf ahead to win the drivers championship [J.Button] & the constructors

[Gunner98]

Well Lewis might be wishing he was in a McLaren these days!

Look at the results not seconds or fractions thereof more a miniute behind Mr Pastry.

What have McLaren got thats the rest havent?. Anyone any ideas?.

Given the fact that Mercedes are also implementing flexi wings now, I genuinely think McLaren have developed something that is not going to stick out by looking at the car. Some leaks suggest they have some different braking technology (not like the RedBull one from 2 years ago) but given the race pace, I think it goes beyond that to something else. If nobody catches onto what they're actually doing then 2026 might be a similar situation even with the new regs.

Only question is, whatever they are doing must be legal otherwise it won't end well if it gets leaked.

[ratedj]

I wonder if Hamilton is regretting his move to Ferrari  They seem as inept at making tactical decisions as they ever were taking a long time to tell  Leclerc to move over and let Hamilton pass who was on better tyres which cost Hamilton time in chasing down the car in front of the Ferrari's. Red Bull and Max brat have the pace in qualifying over McLaren but get blown away in race conditions. Norris never learns that if you try and go elbow to elbow with Max Brat it will end in tears. This undoubtedly cost Lando the race giving victory to his team mate. Piastri must now be favourite to win the drivers title this year and further down the line team orders will come into play. Another podium for Russell 

This is Ferrari you're talking about. Think Abu Dhabi 2010, Hockenheim 2010, Silverstone 2022, just to name a few. The actual mistake was swapping the cars in the first place. Although Hamilton was likely to be initially quicker on the mediums, they were always going to degrade faster than the hards. After they finally swapped the cars on lap 38, Leclerc was consistently around 1.4 seconds behind Hamilton, which is normally the tell-tell sign that the car behind is quicker, accounting for the dirty air. Once they swapped back on lap 52, Leclerc gapped Hamilton by 3 secs and finished 1.5 secs behind Antonelli. The fact that none of the engineers/Fred were able to realise this was the real issue, leading to indecision (which Ferrari excel at) and comical radio messages from Lewis. Had they just left things as was and not been so shortsighted, Leclerc would have caught Antonelli.

As for Max, nothing he could have done in the race. The McLarens were in a league of their own. The fact that he's close in qualifying is due to his brilliance and Oscar and Lando failing to maximise McLaren's potential, which balloons in race trim. Norris just lacks race craft and has defo been spooked by Max, and you simply can't show any weaknesses around Max.

[ratedj]

Well Lewis might be wishing he was in a McLaren these days!

Look at the results not seconds or fractions thereof more a miniute behind Mr Pastry.

What have McLaren got thats the rest havent?. Anyone any ideas?.

I think their flexi wing plays a part, but regarding to what extent, we'll have to wait until Spain to determine how much once the new technical directive comes into play.

I believe their advantage mainly derives from the floor, which is the most important component on the cars in the present reg cycle. Their current ride height is allowing them to produce consistent, accessible downforce, which is key for teams, compared to 'peaky' downforce, such as the Red Bull. This is also leading to other intended consequences, such as a wide operating window, and most importantly little to no tyre deg. Combine everything and you have this perfect storm of a compliant, predictable and balanced car that its drivers can lean on.

[threechilliman]

They've demonstrated on many occasions how inept they are over the years
Though they dont seem quite so poor this year, maybe as LH has arrived
Had the positions been the other way round the decision would have been made faster, obvs
What they should have done is let LH through who could have pulled Leclerc along with DRS
It took Lewis making comments that he was burning his tyres stuck behind Leclerc to help them in their [slow] decision making, them not wanting to offend Leclerc

They lost the window when LH's tyres were at their best
Had they completed the switch three laps earlier likely that LH could have hauled in Antonelli / got closer
& then with a few laps remaining switch back & let Leclerc on it whose tyres were coming in
Ferrari are like keystone cops

Amusing LH mentioning “have a tea-break while you’re at it”
It got better when LH's engineer told him Sainz 1.4 behind
“You want me to let him past as well ?"
Quality 

As for regretting the move we dont know what the exit options on LHs contract with Mercedes were
Timed with Sainz's contract not being renewed
The lure of Ferrari is strong for drivers
IMO LH's eyes on 2026 with the car changes, a wider role as brand ambassador & not forgetting doubling or more what he gets paid
Having been at Mercedes for so long time for a change of scenery could have played a part

LH's comments on the radio yesterday were gold!

[mrwhite]

This is Ferrari you're talking about. Think Abu Dhabi 2010, Hockenheim 2010, Silverstone 2022, just to name a few. The actual mistake was swapping the cars in the first place. Although Hamilton was likely to be initially quicker on the mediums, they were always going to degrade faster than the hards. After they finally swapped the cars on lap 38, Leclerc was consistently around 1.4 seconds behind Hamilton, which is normally the tell-tell sign that the car behind is quicker, accounting for the dirty air. Once they swapped back on lap 52, Leclerc gapped Hamilton by 3 secs and finished 1.5 secs behind Antonelli. The fact that none of the engineers/Fred were able to realise this was the real issue, leading to indecision (which Ferrari excel at) and comical radio messages from Lewis. Had they just left things as was and not been so shortsighted, Leclerc would have caught Antonelli.

As for Max, nothing he could have done in the race. The McLarens were in a league of their own. The fact that he's close in qualifying is due to his brilliance and Oscar and Lando failing to maximise McLaren's potential, which balloons in race trim. Norris just lacks race craft and has defo been spooked by Max, and you simply can't show any weaknesses around Max.

i'd argue the opposite, given clean air the tyres would likely have lasted longer and allowed him to possibly pass Antonelli who was much slower.
Once he was ahead and the tyres started to go off it would hev ebeen the very late stages of the race and all he would need to do is defend the place to the best of his skill.

[webpunter]

LH's comments on the radio yesterday were gold!

Not much
When the eye-ties get these translated they wont be happy
Until the penny drops [or is is lire] that he does have a point

[webpunter]

i'd argue the opposite, given clean air the tyres would likely have lasted longer and allowed him to possibly pass Antonelli who was much slower.
Once he was ahead and the tyres started to go off it would hev ebeen the very late stages of the race and all he would need to do is defend the place to the best of his skill.

Yep
Working in tandem LH could have got closer to Antonelli & once less than a second ...
At the same time giving Leclerc both DRS & a tow
[Bottas was the master fast wingman helping LH with DRS & tows - his stock is high - one reason he is retained by three teams as a spare driver]
In a sustained tow in dirty air on hards Leclerc's tyres would degrade less
Antonelli with LH on his back bumper i think would have made mistakes
LH gets past & then he's got Leclerc behind him
Of course the indecision from Ferrari related to not knowing what to do [standard stuff with them] & also not putting Leclerc's nose out of joint 
They might like to ask themselves as to why they've paid LH a kings ransom to join
Leclerc hasnt won one WDC let alone eight

[shaft10]

Yep
Working in tandem LH could have got closer to Antonelli & once less than a second ...
At the same time giving Leclerc both DRS & a tow
[Bottas was the master fast wingman helping LH with DRS & tows - his stock is high - one reason he is retained by three teams as a spare driver]
In a sustained tow in dirty air on hards Leclerc's tyres would degrade less
Antonelli with LH on his back bumper i think would have made mistakes
LH gets past & then he's got Leclerc behind him
Of course the indecision from Ferrari related to not knowing what to do [standard stuff with them] & also not putting Leclerc's nose out of joint 
They might like to ask themselves as to why they've paid LH a kings ransom to join
Leclerc hasnt won one WDC let alone eight

He's vastly overrated IMO ... they all crow on about how fast he is over 1 lap (on a Saturday) but he's average at best on a Sunday. Seems to be the golden boy at Ferrari though for some reason. I reckon they got rid of the wrong driver ... Sainz is doing a decent job at Williams

[ratedj]

He's vastly overrated IMO ... they all crow on about how fast he is over 1 lap (on a Saturday) but he's average at best on a Sunday. Seems to be the golden boy at Ferrari though for some reason. I reckon they got rid of the wrong driver ... Sainz is doing a decent job at Williams

Everyone is entitled to their opinion but he's certainly not overrated. There's a reason that many people laud him as arguably the fastest driver over one lap, and you don't finish 30 seconds in front of Hamilton on a Sunday with average pace. Currently, nobody deals with imbalance and and an unstable rear better than Max and Charles, which allows them to make the difference more often than not. And no one sacrifices Charles for Sainz. The only logical argument is whether Ferrari made the right call letting Sainz go for Hamilton, although I absolutely understand why they did it. Only time will tell whether it was the right choice.

[timsussex]

Given the fact that Mercedes are also implementing flexi wings now, I genuinely think McLaren have developed something that is not going to stick out by looking at the car. Some leaks suggest they have some different braking technology (not like the RedBull one from 2 years ago) but given the race pace, I think it goes beyond that to something else. If nobody catches onto what they're actually doing then 2026 might be a similar situation even with the new regs.

Only question is, whatever they are doing must be legal otherwise it won't end well if it gets leaked.

Red Bull have accused them of using liquid cooling of brake hubs and therefore wheels and tyres
They do seem to be able to keep their tyres in the ideal temperature  window better than the rest. Liquid cooling would be difficult to hide and probably be illegal but RB have been unable to substantiate (despite claiming the have proof) so the smart money is on some sort of improved means of controlling airflow - especially increasing cooling air once the tyres reach temp

[ratedj]

Red Bull have accused them of using liquid cooling of brake hubs and therefore wheels and tyres
They do seem to be able to keep their tyres in the ideal temperature  window better than the rest. Liquid cooling would be difficult to hide and probably be illegal but RB have been unable to substantiate (despite claiming the have proof) so the smart money is on some sort of improved means of controlling airflow - especially increasing cooling air once the tyres reach temp

There's also one part that I missed out on my post yesterday, which is the suspension. They've enhanced their suspension geometry to generate more anti dive and a stable braking platform.