F1 F1 2025 Season

[jb04]

Hey Motor Board it's race week again and our last taste of racing during daylight hours for 2025.

I'd never in 1,000,000 years go see the Vegas Grand Prix in person but I am more than happy to watch. I'm old enough to remember how fun and surprisingly affordable Vegas used to be, and seeing how it's turned into an overt money extraction machine is sad, I would have loved to go back to Vegas one day.

Still choosing optimism even though the door is closing rapidly for Oscar just like it did for Max, sadly.

 

[Bradesmaen]

McLaren confirm F1 ACADEMY line-up and sign Ella Hakkinen

McLaren have announced they are entering a second car into the all-female F1 ACADEMY series for the 2026 season, with Ella Lloyd returning for a second campaign alongside new recruit Ella Stevens.

www.formula1.com

They really like the name Ella.

 

[Father Jack]

McLaren confirm F1 ACADEMY line-up and sign Ella Hakkinen

McLaren have announced they are entering a second car into the all-female F1 ACADEMY series for the 2026 season, with Ella Lloyd returning for a second campaign alongside new recruit Ella Stevens.

www.formula1.com

They really like the name Ella.

Reminds me of the old Monty Python Bruces sketch

ps i am old

 

[The Flying Belgian]

Who would you say has been the best rookie of 2025. Been a pretty good crop

I'd say

Hadjar (been the most consistent across the whole season)
Bearman (rough start, but come together good in recent races)
Antonelli (same as Bearman)
Bortoletto (Been solid)
Lawson (Overall pretty average)
Colapinto/Doohan (both just as bad as each other imo, but Doohan didn't get as long)

Has to be Hadjar. I've watched a fair bit of F2 over the past few years (as it' often more entertaining than F1) and I wouldn't have picked him as looking as good as he has with the jump up. Bearman likewise.

 

[Eaglemaniac]

Has to be Hadjar. I've watched a fair bit of F2 over the past few years (as it' often more entertaining than F1) and I wouldn't have picked him as looking as good as he has with the jump up. Bearman likewise.

Agreed.

 

[jb04]

Second leg of the ultimate triple header for this season, sadly the time slots for Qatar and Abu Dhabi are not fantastic for us here.

The Sprint Race this weekend may be all I can muster, 12:30am start in SA.

I just really want to see whether there’s any difference in McLaren performance now they might need to change their ride height.

 

[happy_eagle]

Second leg of the ultimate triple header for this season, sadly the time slots for Qatar and Abu Dhabi are not fantastic for us here.

The Sprint Race this weekend may be all I can muster, 12:30am start in SA.

I just really want to see whether there’s any difference in McLaren performance now they might need to change their ride height.

10PM Sprint Race, Midnight race here in the west is doable.

 

[Neale4brownlow]

Second leg of the ultimate triple header for this season, sadly the time slots for Qatar and Abu Dhabi are not fantastic for us here.

The Sprint Race this weekend may be all I can muster, 12:30am start in SA.

I just really want to see whether there’s any difference in McLaren performance now they might need to change their ride height.

Ride height I don't think will be an issue.

I think that had alot to do with it being a street circuit and they went a little too keen. Didn't factor in the porpoising from all the small bumps and imperfections that come with it being a street not a race track.

 

[Gasometer]

The issue will be not clipping the walls trying to set the Qualifying times for the McLarens and Max.

Remember Max’s goat Qualifying in 2021 at Qatar; well almost…clipped the wall..

Pressure is on

 

[skam85]

The issue will be not clipping the walls trying to set the Qualifying times for the McLarens and Max.

Remember Max’s goat Qualifying in 2021 at Qatar; well almost…clipped the wall..

Pressure is on

Jeddah but sure

 

[gaskin]

 

[jb04]

Less funny than getting Horner, but also curious choice. We know what Neweys strengths are but we also knew where Binottos strengths were before his stint at the top at Ferrari.

Look I hope this works out but it feels out of left field? I didnt get the vibe that team principal was a goal job for Newey from his book, but it’s been a long time since I read it, and a long time since he wrote it.

 

[Duck Farmer]

He only took the job because he heard they were looking at Horner.

 

[nikkig98]

Not really sure what this'll achieve in terms of meaningful gains for the Aston team. Stroll locking down that seat means they're already capped at 5-10 results there no matter how good the 2026 car is (i know he has a podium)

Alonso is still decent tbf but at 44, i think a podium or two is at good as it gets for him even if the car and strategy is top notch

 

[Not Important]

this is a win. seems he's been hamstrung until now. in piastri in 2027. out either stroll or alonzo.

 

[happy_eagle]

this is a win. seems he's been hamstrung until now. in piastri in 2027. out either stroll or alonzo.

They'd get Max before anyone else, particularly now with Newey at the top.

 

[Jatz]

That news really surprises me. I've never really thought Newey would be the Team Principal type.

 

[Matele]

That news really surprises me. I've never really thought Newey would be the Team Principal type.

I wonder how much he learnt from his time being Horners right hand man.

 

[jb04]

I wonder how much he learnt from his time being Horners right hand man.

He learned what not to do, you'd hope.

 

[Cleavy]

mandatory 2 stop rule in effect

https://www.news.com.au/sport/motorsport/formula-one/artificial-formula-one-pit-stop-rule-change-to-destroy-race-at-qatar-grand-prix/news-story/fa16cf445ed7b5a5ad1972ca35f1304b

 

[Vader]

mandatory 2 stop rule in effect

https://www.news.com.au/sport/motorsport/formula-one/artificial-formula-one-pit-stop-rule-change-to-destroy-race-at-qatar-grand-prix/news-story/fa16cf445ed7b5a5ad1972ca35f1304b

And unlike Monaco, they can't do them on consecutive laps, given that tyres have a maximum life of 25 laps. This means they will need to do at least 7 laps between stops.

 

[Rod Stroker]

no Qatar race thread? Has become the most important race of the season

 

[gaskin]

mandatory 2 stop rule in effect

https://www.news.com.au/sport/motorsport/formula-one/artificial-formula-one-pit-stop-rule-change-to-destroy-race-at-qatar-grand-prix/news-story/fa16cf445ed7b5a5ad1972ca35f1304b

It was last year as well, wasn't it?

 

[happy_eagle]

It was last year as well, wasn't it?

Yep, and from memory it didn't really add much drama despite the fact that the drivers were doing a race full of quali laps and were exhausted by the end of it. No tyre management to speak of.

 

[jb04]

Yep, and from memory it didn't really add much drama despite the fact that the drivers were doing a race full of quali laps and were exhausted by the end of it. No tyre management to speak of.

I think the weather may be a bit more reasonable this time around so we wont have anyone on the brink and retiring from heat stroke.

Still, going helter skelter on tires you know will last at most 25 laps is... different? Different like a sprint race, not different like wet weather racing. Will need to watch Supercars for that this weekend.