2025 Formula 1 season

[cliveb]

Only just seen the race.

I think this might be McLaren's biggest strategy cock-up since losing Lewis the championship in 2007 by leaving him out until his tyres were down to the canvas at the Chinese GP.

 

[Wilson]

Brown has already said he’d prefer to lose the title than favour one driver, and that may well happen! A pal of mine is a mechanic/pit crew, he said they’ve been told to keep it as fair as possible and had it re-iterated they don’t favour a driver.

It’s a bold move, history says that doesn’t really work, but Sunday should be good, even if I have had to inform the wife to move my birthday lunch as it clashes with the race! I suspect one of the drivers will move on to a team where they can be the #1.

 

[4LEX]

McLaren doing their best to throw it away! Two shocking weeks and it should already be Lando's by now.

What a weekend to come through!

 

[venger]

Red Bull 'sincerely regret' comments after Kimi Antonelli receives death threats

Red Bull say they "sincerely regret" comments made at the Qatar Grand Prix that led to Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli receiving death threats.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[jim8flog]

Isn't that the case with the majority of World Champions? Most have the team geared up around one key person, history has shown us that. It shows how good the two McLaren drivers are, yes I know, best car ........but they are doing it without exclusivity.

I am not convinced on that one

Hamilton/Rosberg
Prost/ Senna
Hamilton / Alonso
Alonso/ Raikonen
Raikonen/ Coulthard
Raikonen /Vettel

Some that come to mine

 

[Swango1980]

I always wondered if Red Bull Racing were given too many headaches when Vettel and Webber were at each others throats, and occasionally taking each other off the track. And they may have hated trying to deal with the drivers egos behind the scenes.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I am not convinced on that one

Hamilton/Rosberg
Prost/ Senna
Hamilton / Alonso
Alonso/ Raikonen
Raikonen/ Coulthard
Raikonen /Vettel

Some that come to mine

I'm not an F1 fan but dip in and out over time. Schumacher is the obvious one where the dice were loaded.

Prost/Senna were only teammates for 2 seasons, interestingly at McLaren. Is this a McLaren thing?

There's debate about whether Hamilton received preferential treatment but if he did, it wasn't Schumacher levels.

The other names are not in the classic territory so don't ring any bells (obviously I know who they are, just don't remember them being big rivalries or great seasons)

At most teams the set up leans towards one driver and then it's a matter of how well the other driver copes with that. Not always, but I suspect the situations where it does outweigh where it doesn't.

 

[cliveb]

The other names are not in the classic territory so don't ring any bells (obviously I know who they are, just don't remember them being big rivalries or great seasons)

Lauda/Prost 1984 (McLaren)
Mansell/Piquet 1986/1987 (Williams)

 

[C7usk]

I just hope Norris gets the job done at the weekend. Has no car issues, cause that would be a horrible way to lose it... I'd be staying well out of Max and especially Tsunodas way... Just get 3rd place and take the trophy ...
Max is the best out there. I just can't take to the man.. Especially after beating Hamilton in Abu Dhabi a few years back..

 

[Swango1980]

The final race will be intriguing. Maybe we have McClaren to thank for that, given that they managed to get both cars DQed a couple of races ago, along with their tactical error last weekend.

Noticed an interesting question on the BBC news site, which is:

"Two laps to go in Abu Dabi: Max Verstappen is winning, Oscar Piastri is second, George Russell is third with Lando Norris fourth. Does Oscar get ordered to let both cars past?"

 

[SteveW86]

The final race will be intriguing. Maybe we have McClaren to thank for that, given that they managed to get both cars DQed a couple of races ago, along with their tactical error last weekend.

Noticed an interesting question on the BBC news site, which is:

"Two laps to go in Abu Dabi: Max Verstappen is winning, Oscar Piastri is second, George Russell is third with Lando Norris fourth. Does Oscar get ordered to let both cars past?"

I hope he doesn’t and I don’t think he would. Officially the constructors championship is the only one that matters so it doesn’t officially make a difference to McLaren.

If I was Lando, that championship would also be tainted too. He needs to win it on merit.

 

[Swango1980]

I hope he doesn’t and I don’t think he would. Officially the constructors championship is the only one that matters so it doesn’t officially make a difference to McLaren.

If I was Lando, that championship would also be tainted too. He needs to win it on merit.

Having the Formula 1 World Champion on your team makes a big big difference for the team. The Constructors is nice, and I'm sure they get a nice bit of prize money. But the F1 World Champion is what most people only care about, and so that is huge for advertising and sponsoring your brand.

 

[SteveW86]

Having the Formula 1 World Champion on your team makes a big big difference for the team. The Constructors is nice, and I'm sure they get a nice bit of prize money. But the F1 World Champion is what most people only care about, and so that is huge for advertising and sponsoring your brand.

Oh don’t get me wrong, it’s great to have the drivers champ in your car. But, I don’t think the team get any money for that.

If Max wins, I’m certain McLaren will be calling themselves F1 champions in their outgoing comms

 

[WorldHandicapSystem]

I'm not an F1 fan but dip in and out over time. Schumacher is the obvious one where the dice were loaded.

Prost/Senna were only teammates for 2 seasons, interestingly at McLaren. Is this a McLaren thing?

There's debate about whether Hamilton received preferential treatment but if he did, it wasn't Schumacher levels.

The other names are not in the classic territory so don't ring any bells (obviously I know who they are, just don't remember them being big rivalries or great seasons)

At most teams the set up leans towards one driver and then it's a matter of how well the other driver copes with that. Not always, but I suspect the situations where it does outweigh where it doesn't.

Mercedes drivers were free to race until such time one had a clear lead over the other.

 

[Swango1980]

Oh don’t get me wrong, it’s great to have the drivers champ in your car. But, I don’t think the team get any money for that.

If Max wins, I’m certain McLaren will be calling themselves F1 champions in their outgoing comms

McClaren will absolutely do that, they will big up their achievements as best they can. But, you can guarantee that they will be cheering and celebrating one of their drivers if they win the F1 Title. And it won't just be because they are mates and pleased for them. It will be because they can make a huge deal that the 2025 World Champion drives a McClaren car. I've no idea if they get any money directly for it. Maybe not in terms of prize money from the FIA. But I would not be in the slightest bit surprised if many of their biggest sponsors have a clause in their contract that if the F1 World Champion is a McClaren driver, they will give a huge extra bonus to the McClaren team. And it also helps McClaren secure better future contracts with sponsors.

Whereas if Max Verstappen wins the F1 World Championships, that will be very lucrative for Red Bull. Red Bull will certainly be making the most of it.

 

[WorldHandicapSystem]

If I was Lando, that championship would also be tainted too. He needs to win it on merit.

It won’t be tainted at all. Lando will be happy if he wins.

There are drivers championships that are actually tainted, some in very recent memory. No one other than Radbull fans would bat an eyelid if Piastri moves over to help Lando.

 

[cliveb]

Whereas if Max Verstappen wins the F1 World Championships, that will be very lucrative for Red Bull. Red Bull will certainly be making the most of it.

It's the only thing they could celebrate.
They certainly can't crow about their dog of a car, which has only been wrestled to a winning position by Max's extreme talent.
(I don't much like the guy and am delighted whenever he doesn't do well, but there's no denying his abilities).
If you ignore what Max has been able to achieve, Red Bull have been beaten by their junior team.

 

[4LEX]

It won’t be tainted at all. Lando will be happy if he wins.

There are drivers championships that are actually tainted, some in very recent memory. No one other than Radbull fans would bat an eyelid if Piastri moves over to help Lando.

I would prefer to see Norris dominate and win it clearly but seeing the meltdown from Max and his Dad would be hilarious if it that was the case

 

[Swango1980]

I would prefer to see Norris dominate and win it clearly but seeing the meltdown from Max and his Dad would be hilarious if it that was the case

Maybe a victory for Norris similar to when Hamilton won his first title in Brazil, beating Massa in the last seconds.

 

[jim8flog]

It won’t be tainted at all. Lando will be happy if he wins.

There are drivers championships that are actually tainted, some in very recent memory. No one other than Radbull fans would bat an eyelid if Piastri moves over to help Lando.

Thing about that is the mathematics have to be extremely right, Piastri is only 16 points behind Lando and as history tells us anything can happen on the last lap so he is very likely to never do it in then first place.