F1 2025 - Previous Rounds

[Forward Press]

All efforts put into Lando to get Max for a win. And when that failed it was all efforts into Lando retaining 2nd.
Not once was Piastri (the championship leader...) offered a strategy to improve his position on track. I understand why. But at some point its a bit ridiculous what they're doing.

About halfway through the race, Oscar's race engineer asked if he would consider Plan A + 15 (which was close to when Oscar actually pitted), so this is patently false.

It's easy enough to construct a narrative of Lando favouritism (which it was in this race, because he had track position) without resorting to demonstrably 'fake news'.

 

[Duck Farmer]

Basically had nothing to lose and everything to gain by switching to hards.

Not enough is being made of this. Oscar's side of the garage should've offered him a different strategy to Lando by following Max onto the hards to force Lando into a decision. Oscar was finishing third anyway and this could've given him a shot at second. They didn't do it because it would've compromised Lando's shot at Max if he reacted to cover Oscar off and was forced onto the same strategy as Max.

I have my doubts about Stallard. I think he is in the team's corner first and Oscar's second. Oscar needs a race engineer who'll be more of a campaigner and put him first.

 

[Jatz]

Not enough is being made of this. Oscar's side of the garage should've offered him a different strategy to Lando by following Max onto the hards to force Lando into a decision. Oscar was finishing third anyway and this could've given him a shot at second. They didn't do it because it would've compromised Lando's shot at Max if he reacted to cover Oscar off.

I have my doubts about Stallard. I think he is in the team's corner first and Oscar's second. Oscar needs a race engineer who'll be more of a campaigner and put him first.

Why would McLaren ever agree to that?

 

[Duck Farmer]

Why would McLaren ever agree to that?

Maybe the same way they do for Joseph?

 

[Vader]

Haven't read any of the thread but my god, that's up there as one of the most boring F1 races of all time.

It's not in the top-10.
2025 Monaco
2024 Monaco
2023 Monaco
...

Need I continue?

The McLaren thing is interesting. I think they've done the right thing. I understand why Oscar would question it but it seems silly to punish Lando for something that occurred while helping Oscar out (not that I believe he needed it at all).

I think this illustrates the issue with having the only two WDC challengers on the same team.

Nah... Piastri did the right thing by complying with team orders. The team were completely in the wrong to ask that of him in the first place.

It wasn't a case of team strategy going wrong, it was a simple **** up by one of their pit crew. Fair racing dictates that they redress team strategy blunders. Fair racing does not dictate that they fix bad luck or incompetence.

 

[Vader]

How is it absurd? They asked Lando before it happened and he agreed to it due to that.

If they weren't covering Charles off, Lando would've pitted first.

There was never any need to cover Leclerc. That was a fiction concocted by the Sky commentators, rather than admit that Lando wanted to have his cake and eat it too - in reality, Lando was hoping for a SC which would give him a bigger pit advantage.

All other things being equal, it wouldn't have mattered who pitted first. Lando was never going to be undercut as a result of team strategy. It was only when the Motor Racing Gods intervened, in the form of McLaren's infamously incompetent front-left rattle gun operator (who has ****ed up at least 10 times already this season), which saw Oscar overtake Lando.

Lando would reasonably have expected a redress if the problem had been caused by pit strategy. Expecting it because of luck/incompetence is a different thing entirely. This situation was no different to Silverstone - Oscar didn't get a redress there, and Lando shouldn't have got one here.

 

[StFly]

Yeah, Oscar 0, Norris 0.5 as he really should just have just been "I'm pitting now IDGAF" if he wanted to, none of this "only if A-C happens" discussion, MCL 99.5 blame for well being MCL and hardly working and wanting all the nice things so they ruin everything.

 

[Festerz]

You seem to be conflating 2 separate issues. Piastri was right to give up the place, when requested to by his team - for the reasons you offered (i.e. team harmony). However, the team was flat out blatantly wrong to ask that of him in the first place.

LOL. Look at the posting time and that will tell you why. My post was made within minutes of me having finished watching the Sky coverage. Was my only post of the race iirc - and only had the limited information that was available from the sky coverage and about to go to bed. Gave my immediate and honest opinion on what I'd just seen and how I felt.

Of course it looks poorly informed and lacking consistency. Because it was. That's always the case with live comments vs those made after the event when a clearer picture emerges.

With hindsight and 12 hours of time passed to reflect I would happily go back and change it. But what would be the point of that?

 

[Jatz]

It's not in the top-10.
2025 Monaco
2024 Monaco
2023 Monaco
...

Need I continue?

Nah... Piastri did the right thing by complying with team orders. The team were completely in the wrong to ask that of him in the first place.

It wasn't a case of team strategy going wrong, it was a simple **** up by one of their pit crew. Fair racing dictates that they redress team strategy blunders. Fair racing does not dictate that they fix bad luck or incompetence.

This was absolutely on par with Monaco this year. Outside of turn 1, very little happened up front and it was over within 75 mins. Absolute snore fest.

Formula 1 very rarely has fair racing between teammates. This is exactly why I mentioned that having two title contenders on the same team is regrettable.

 

[Jatz]

There was never any need to cover Lando. That was a fiction concocted by the Sky commentators, rather than admit that Lando wanted to have his cake and eat it too - in reality, Lando was hoping for a SC which would give him a bigger pit advantage.

All other things being equal, it wouldn't have mattered who pitted first. Lando was never going to be undercut as a result of team strategy. It was only when the Motor Racing Gods intervened, in the form of McLaren's infamously incompetent front-left rattle gun operator (who has ****ed up at least 10 times already this season), which saw Oscar overtake Lando.

Lando would reasonably have expected a redress if the problem had been caused by pit strategy. Expecting it because of luck/incompetence is a different thing entirely. This situation was no different to Silverstone - Oscar didn't get a redress there, and Lando shouldn't have got one here.

A safety car was an absolute pipe dream. There might've been hope there but they'd have known it was incredibly unrealistic.

 

[Festerz]

A safety car was an absolute pipe dream. There might've been hope there but they'd have known it was incredibly unrealistic.

And yet it was a dream that very nearly came true.

The collision between Sainz and Bearman on lap 41 luckily saw them both remain on the tarmac and continue on, when they both could have easily ended up in the gravel causing an SC.

It was something that Verstappen and (I think) Piastri commented on in the cool down room - having seen the replay on the big screen while they were racing. Piastri lamenting that a safety car didn't result.

 

[Vader]

This was absolutely on par with Monaco this year. Outside of turn 1, very little happened up front and it was over within 75 mins. Absolute snore fest.

Formula 1 very rarely has fair racing between teammates. This is exactly why I mentioned that having two title contenders on the same team is regrettable.

I can't agree with that. OP got past (and passed by) LeClerc multiple times in the early laps. Verstappen passed Lando (having previously given the position back). Hamilton made multiple successful overtaking moves. There were a whole heap of overtakes by cars on fresh tyres vs cars on old tyres.

At Monaco, the order in which cars enter the tunnel on lap 1 is the order they cross the finish line, barring disasters in pit lane.

Monza wasn't the most exciting race of all time, but to suggest it was on par with anything Monaco has dished out in the last decade is indicative of someone with severe memory problems.

 

[Sixpence]

 

[Not Important]

Cmon, that's an absurd take.
Lando doesnt want Oscar scoring more points... he wants to beat him... capiche?

yep! loved max's comments when he first heard the news of the mclaren call. and i'm betting oscar is seething below the surface as indicated by his comment the matter will be discussed.

 

[Neale4brownlow]

Not enough is being made of this. Oscar's side of the garage should've offered him a different strategy to Lando by following Max onto the hards to force Lando into a decision. Oscar was finishing third anyway and this could've given him a shot at second. They didn't do it because it would've compromised Lando's shot at Max if he reacted to cover Oscar off and was forced onto the same strategy as Max.

I have my doubts about Stallard. I think he is in the team's corner first and Oscar's second. Oscar needs a race engineer who'll be more of a campaigner and put him first.

Agree. And in doing this MCL is basically showing they were going for Norris 1. Piastri 3. Which would be bad for Piastri.

In a team first mentality this makes absolute sense to go for this. But they already have the constructors sewn up. They don't need the wins.

As far as drivers championship efforts go it was basically giving Norris a no-risk shot at closing a big gap on Piastri and forcing Piastri to sit idle. Which doesn't feel acceptable. They need to take the shackles off or it's going to be a micromanaged drivers championship won by qualifying efforts (if it's not already).

 

[Gasometer]

There was never any need to cover Lando. That was a fiction concocted by the Sky commentators, rather than admit that Lando wanted to have his cake and eat it too - in reality, Lando was hoping for a SC which would give him a bigger pit advantage.

All other things being equal, it wouldn't have mattered who pitted first. Lando was never going to be undercut as a result of team strategy. It was only when the Motor Racing Gods intervened, in the form of McLaren's infamously incompetent front-left rattle gun operator (who has ****ed up at least 10 times already this season), which saw Oscar overtake Lando.

Lando would reasonably have expected a redress if the problem had been caused by pit strategy. Expecting it because of luck/incompetence is a different thing entirely. This situation was no different to Silverstone - Oscar didn't get a redress there, and Lando shouldn't have got one here.

Rattle gun guy is not Caleb Daniel?

 

[Jatz]

I can't agree with that. OP got past (and passed by) LeClerc multiple times in the early laps. Verstappen passed Lando (having previously given the position back). Hamilton made multiple successful overtaking moves. There were a whole heap of overtakes by cars on fresh tyres vs cars on old tyres.

At Monaco, the order in which cars enter the tunnel on lap 1 is the order they cross the finish line, barring disasters in pit lane.

Monza wasn't the most exciting race of all time, but to suggest it was on par with anything Monaco has dished out in the last decade is indicative of someone with severe memory problems.

Most of what you've just discussed was over within the first 5 laps. From that point, Max sailed into the distance and the following 6 all kept each other at around a 5 second gap.

Apart from a botched pitstop and Sainz and Bearman colliding, 90% of the race was watching this lot out for a Sunday drive.

Fair enough if you enjoyed it, I just personally think the procession style of race was awful.

 

[Jatz]

I think all this weekend really proved for McLaren is the absolute importance of qualifying.

If Oscar consistently qualifies ahead, he'll be fine.

 

[Neale4brownlow]

Most of what you've just discussed was over within the first 5 laps. From that point, Max sailed into the distance and the following 6 all kept each other at around a 5 second gap.

Apart from a botched pitstop and Sainz and Bearman colliding, 90% of the race was watching this lot out for a Sunday drive.

Fair enough if you enjoyed it, I just personally think the procession style of race was awful.

I didnt find it too boring given how short it was.

But the tyres are the issue. It seemed like the only reason McLaren pitted was because they had to. I think they could have driven all weekend on those mediums.

They need to pick some softer compounds for races and actually bring tyre wear back into the strategy. They're too afraid of punctures after the years prior. But if pirelli state a lap limit and teams go beyond it and start copping punctures.. thats on them.

 

[Neale4brownlow]

Saw a good comment that if we fast forward to Abu Dhabi and imagine the opposite happens and it's a slim margin... do MCL tell Norris to swap with Piastri for the championship?

Imagine...

 

[King Of Money]

Heart in the mouth stuff for Oscar and Lando in those first few laps as Max and Charles tried to take advantage of any risk averse behaviour.

To their credit, both Oscar and Lando stood up to their challenges. Great racing.

 

[Jatz]

I didnt find it too boring given how short it was.

But the tyres are the issue. It seemed like the only reason McLaren pitted was because they had to. I think they could have driven all weekend on those mediums.

They need to pick some softer compounds for races and actually bring tyre wear back into the strategy. They're too afraid of punctures after the years prior. But if pirelli state a lap limit and teams go beyond it and start copping punctures.. thats on them.

Yeah agreed with that on the tyres.

Those McLarens looked like they could've gone another 50 laps on them.

It's a little bit odd considering how boring I found it but I think they need to increase the laps there. A race finishing in just over an hour feels too quick in general.

 

[largebus]

Yeah agreed with that on the tyres.

Those McLarens looked like they could've gone another 50 laps on them.

It's a little bit odd considering how boring I found it but I think they need to increase the laps there. A race finishing in just over an hour feels too quick in general.

They'd need to fit bigger fuel cells to go longer, which would change the entire design of the car.

 

[Duck Farmer]

It's a little bit odd considering how boring I found it but I think they need to increase the laps there. A race finishing in just over an hour feels too quick in general.

Would need to bring refuelling back!

 

[ptrg]

I didnt find it too boring given how short it was.

But the tyres are the issue. It seemed like the only reason McLaren pitted was because they had to. I think they could have driven all weekend on those mediums.

They need to pick some softer compounds for races and actually bring tyre wear back into the strategy. They're too afraid of punctures after the years prior. But if pirelli state a lap limit and teams go beyond it and start copping punctures.. thats on them.

Problem is teams in the past took the piss, tried to outlast each other, resulting in that famous Baku race where something like 3 or 4 had their tires go pop.

The tire manufacturer copped lol the blame and went ultra conservative after that, despite the teams having plenty of chances to pit prior to going through their “expected life” point.