F1 2025 Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix

[barrackers]

As good as Piastri lap 1 overtake was it was evident then that Norris was content for 3rd. Still reckon it was the wrong strategy, but McLaren wanting Piastri to chase down Verstappen was the opposite of what he needed to do to make the hard tyre strategy work, which was to drive slower to maximise tyre life and compress the field behind him.

 

[happy_eagle]

If you want to talk about sliding door moments for the season, how about Max losing the plot in Spain driving into Russell.

 

[Coasters7]

I think the whole "number one/number two" driver stuff is a tad overrated. It often is used to describe drivers that were constantly in support roles because they weren't as good as their teammate (i.e Bottas, Perez, Webber, Barrichello etc..).

A lot of people would have considered Rosberg a number two driver in 2016, and he won it. No reason why Piastri can't come back and beat Norris next year (whether it is a title contending car though is the bigger question mark). I think Piastri at his quickest is a very good match for Norris at his quickest.

Just miss out on all the strategy calls that end up being crucial in a title fight decided by so little.

Like tonight, why didn’t Oscar get the first pit stop? He was still in the fight at that point if he caught Max and Lando crashed.

A few races back Lando got given a Hail Mary strategy and it worked. So why was Oscars strategy today to just roll over and take it.

 

[happy_eagle]

Just miss out on all the strategy calls that end up being crucial in a title fight decided by so little.

Like tonight, why didn’t Oscar get the first pit stop? He was still in the fight at that point if he caught Max and Lando crashed.

A few races back Lando got given a Hail Mary strategy and it worked. So why was Oscars strategy today to just roll over and take it.

Because he started on the hard tyre, so was always going to go longer with the aim of having a better tyre at the end?

And at that stage I don't know how many were thinking of a 2 stopper, which ultimately would have been what Oscar had to do.

 

[hotchilli]

Just miss out on all the strategy calls that end up being crucial in a title fight decided by so little.

Like tonight, why didn’t Oscar get the first pit stop? He was still in the fight at that point if he caught Max and Lando crashed.

A few races back Lando got given a Hail Mary strategy and it worked. So why was Oscars strategy today to just roll over and take it.

Come on now, he’s been screwed over plenty on strategy calls throughout the season but if your relying on a DNF and a big gap to close on Max vs just needing to cover off other drivers to maintain a podium position. I think it’s a pretty easy choice of who gets the preferential treatment in this race.

 

[Coasters7]

Because he started on the hard tyre, so was always going to go longer with the aim of having a better tyre at the end?

And at that stage I don't know how many were thinking of a 2 stopper, which ultimately would have been what Oscar had to do.

A better tyre for what though? By the time he came in the gap was 25 seconds in 15 laps.

 

[happy_eagle]

A better tyre for what though? By the time he came in the gap was 25 seconds in 15 laps.

Yeh I said at the start of the race, starting on the Hard is rarely a good strategy. But as soon as they made that call to start him on the hard, they were always unlikely to bring him in ahead of the medium runners unless there was consensus it was a guaranteed 2 stopper (which I dont think there was).

 

[Coasters7]

Come on now, he’s been screwed over plenty on strategy calls throughout the season but if your relying on a DNF and a big gap to close on Max vs just needing to cover off other drivers to maintain a podium position. I think it’s a pretty easy choice of who gets the preferential treatment in this race.

Race till the finish line though. If you’re in second you should get to make the call.

Also ridiculous they started him on that strategy to begin with. The only other driver that did that was the second driver of the opposing team who wasn’t in the title fight. So in essence they went into the race with Oscar as the guinea pig for Lando, proving there’s absolutely a hierarchy at McLaren

 

[Australian Randall]

The misfortune Piastri suffered with strategy at Imola, Hungary, and Qatar was been more than cancelled out by Norris's engine failure at Holland, slowpit stop at Baku, and first lap DNF during the Austin Sprint. Norris also lost more points from the Vegas DQ. Yet Norris still finished 13 points ahead of Piastri.

Our boy just wasn't good enough.

 

[FreoRicci]

The one thing Lando wants is a boring race. I’m sure Max knows this and RBR will do whatever they can to cause some mayhem.

It was a boring race. Dull. Nothing really happened

 

[TheEscapeClub]

Put back in the engine failure at Zaandvoort and he is back ahead of Oscar

(see how this is a silly exercise?)

Change the, 'not possible', one stopper strategy that Oscar asked about that was then suggested and accepted by Lando and take 7 points from Lando and add 7 points Oscar

Can we keep going?

 

[nohairandfair]

As good as Piastri lap 1 overtake was it was evident then that Norris was content for 3rd. Still reckon it was the wrong strategy, but McLaren wanting Piastri to chase down Verstappen was the opposite of what he needed to do to make the hard tyre strategy work, which was to drive slower to maximise tyre life and compress the field behind him.

Yep, those radio calls to instruct Piastri to get into the dirty air of Max were designed to increase tyre wear and compromise any race strategy advantage he might have had.
McLando happy to screw over Oscar to the bitter end.

He will always play second fiddle to Lando. He needs to get out of this toxic team.

 

[Gasometer]

History will go around in circles talking about the points won and lost between the MCL drivers but for mine the crushing moment for Oscar was Azerbaijan Qualifying, the messed up start and bottling.

My heart sank and it was the beginning of a disappointing descent to where we ended up this morning; as much as I’m disappointed for Oscar, I guess I could see what was coming for weeks and more accepting of where the season ended up

As a footnote, if Mexicans were warm to Lando and Brown, good grief, a Melbourne crowd will be interesting should the opportunity arise; as I’ve said repeatedly though it is up to the Australian Media to pose the tough questions about 2025 and not be lazy sycophants.

Can’t wait for 2026 to start.

 

[Maddo11]

Oscar needs to ask Max how to be a hungry prick here.

Isn't he Dutch though, not Hungarian...

 

[JackFlash]

Contracts or not let's hope Oscar tells Zak where to stick it all at some point in the near future!

 

[jb04]

Taking the what ifs to an extreme, if Oscar was still in bed with Alpine we’d all be here wondering out loud whether he could get a podium next year with the Merc engine.

 

[satty]

God I hope Honda continue their trajectory and build a dominant engine.

 

[Gasometer]

Chris Piastri in the paper today

 

[lionbear]

The misfortune Piastri suffered with strategy at Imola, Hungary, and Qatar was been more than cancelled out by Norris's engine failure at Holland, slowpit stop at Baku, and first lap DNF during the Austin Sprint. Norris also lost more points from the Vegas DQ. Yet Norris still finished 13 points ahead of Piastri.

Our boy just wasn't good enough.

I actually prefer to say not ready:

He had the lead in the championship and struggled with it, once he fell behind Lando to a point everyone knew Lando could not be caught by Oscar his Mojo re appeared.

I hope he learns from this and grows into next season.

Lets not forget Oscar just finished his third season in F1, the same year Lando got the record number of starts for McLaren.

His turn witll come, but as I said, he just wasn't ready this year.

 

[The Terrible Thinker]

Oscar could go anywhere next year but will still be the #2 driver unfortunately. F1 is so cruel in that manner as the politics always wins. Oscar is better off staying at Mclaren next year incase Lando has a "premiership hangover" and the door opens up for him to take an championship win pending the new cars and regulations.

 

[Achy Blakey Heart]

History will go around in circles talking about the points won and lost between the MCL drivers but for mine the crushing moment for Oscar was Azerbaijan Qualifying, the messed up start and bottling.

Piastri has been open and said that the Baku disaster was a result of the **** up at Monza. That's where it all started going wrong for OP....and it was MCL that ****ed up and should never have asked him to let Lando by.

 

[lionbear]

Oscar could go anywhere next year but will still be the #2 driver unfortunately. F1 is so cruel in that manner as the politics always wins. Oscar is better off staying at Mclaren next year incase Lando has a "premiership hangover" and the door opens up for him to take an championship win pending the new cars and regulations.

I think with the experience gained this year, if McLaren are the best team after the new regulations, Oscar wil beat lando head to head in 2026.

 

[BIRDBRAIN]

Oscar looks like he was caught red handed trying to get a cookie out of the cookie jar this season, but we all know it's Lando's cookie jar (because his dad paid for the cookies)

 

[Jatz]

Holy **** that race was boring. I sincerely hope these new regs allow some genuine racing.

Congratulations to Lando. I know Max won't see it as a lost title due to the nature of how he got so close in the end but that really is a WDC gone begging for him.

It's such a paradox, the WDC was so close and came down to the wire, meanwhile the racing was as mundane as you could possibly get.

 

[Forward Press]

Chris Piastri in the paper today


View attachment 2492683

Possibly the most sensible take on the topic, and from his father to boot.

Oscar can be proud of this year, I also liked how Martin Brundle was effusive in his praise for the season, and labelled him as a certainty for a WDC. He will be better for the experience and we forget he's still only in his third season on the grid. If he has the car, he will win a WDC, mark my words.

Congratulations to Lando Norris, well deserved. Congratulations to Max Verstappen as well for running it so close, proves yet again he is a possible GOAT driver. And of course, congratulations to Oscar Piastri, plenty to like and he'll be back better than ever in 2026.