McLaren boss rages at \u2018ludicrous\u2019 Piastri claim as Aussie set to address $30m row<\/a><\/p>\nOscar watches on as McLaren celebrates | 01:04<\/p>\n
THE STING IN THE DEVELOPMENT TAIL<\/p>\n
None of this is surprising to McLaren boss Andrea Stella.<\/p>\n
The Italian team principal was the first to identify Verstappen as a genuine championship threat shortly after the mid-season break, and his premonition has so far proved accurate.<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters in Singapore, the cause of the momentum swing is clear.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a trend whereby we have stopped the development of the car now for quite some time because we\u2019ve been focusing entirely on 2026,\u201d he said. \u201cThere were little parts that we took to Monza, but otherwise we are just focusing on 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cMeanwhile we have seen that some competitors kept taking trackside some new upgrades. Red Bull certainly is one of those.\u201d<\/p>\n
Red Bull Racing has indeed been pushing hard with its 2025 upgrades, somewhat reminiscent of the way it threw everything at Verstappen\u2019s title hopes in 2021 despite the looming rule changes.<\/p>\n
RBR has brought new parts to all eight of the last grands prix in succession. McLaren has brought upgrades to just four of those rounds.<\/p>\n
Red Bull Racing boss Laurent Mekies admitted that it was compromising development on next year\u2019s car but argued that it was important to the team\u2019s success not only this year but also in future seasons to understand where it had gone so wrong.<\/p>\n
\u201cCertainly from Red Bull Racing\u2019s perspective, even without looking at the other guys around, it was and it is very important that we get to understand if the project has more performance,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s important that we get to the bottom of it because we will elaborate next year\u2019s project, even if the regulations are completely different, with the same tools, with the same methodology.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very important that we validate with this year\u2019s car that our way of looking at the data is correct, our way of developing the car is correct, and that produces that level of performance that will give us confidence in the winter for next year\u2019s car.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course it comes at a cost, undoubtedly, to the 2026 project, but we feel it\u2019s the right trade-off for us, without judging what the other guys are doing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Whether by design or by accident, some of the team\u2019s most recent upgrades have had a mildly revolutionary effect on the championship battle.<\/p>\n
McLaren is looking over its shoulder.Source: AFP<\/p>\n
THE OUTLOOK<\/p>\n
The result in Singapore dealt damage to the F1 orthodoxy that McLaren probably still has the best all-round car. While Singapore is an outlier circuit \u2014 a slow, high-downforce street track \u2014 it\u2019s at the opposite end of the spectrum to Monza and Baku, which are fast, low-downforce tracks.<\/p>\n
Not only was McLaren beaten at all three, but Verstappen beat both McLaren drivers at all three, even if he didn\u2019t win in Singapore.<\/p>\n
Those results have Red Bull Racing in the ascendancy.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing able to fight for the win here means a lot,\u201d Mekies said. \u201cWe\u2019ve been able to be in the right rhythms from Friday. We were in the right rhythm in qualifying. It was very, very close to pole, and we were in the right rhythm in the race \u2014 we finished a few seconds away from George.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is good news. It means that what we have unlocked is not only low-downforce-specific.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Stella doesn\u2019t see the trend as quite so simply moving away from his team.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe seem to observe a pattern, having been in Baku and then here in Singapore, that resembles what we have seen in Canada and when we have braking with bumps and with kerbs,\u201d he said. \u201cIn Canada we were not the best car, in Baku we were not the best car and in Singapore we are not the best car.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe needed to wait a few races at low downforce tracks, like Monza and Baku, and then this [high-downforce] one [in Singapore] to identify that there\u2019s also a pattern from a technical point of view.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think one is the pattern of braking with bumps and kerbs, and the other one is with the low downforce like we saw in Monza and Baku.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we saw that we gained the time in mid-corner, but every mid-corner [in Singapore] is kind of too short. Here is dominated by braking and traction, and with bumps and kerbs we just seem to be suffering a bit.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a regime in which simply we are not the most competitive.\u201d<\/p>\n
We can draw some tentative conclusions about the new form guide.<\/p>\n
Red Bull Racing is back to being a decent all-rounder but is still weaker than the McLaren at long and medium-speed corners.<\/p>\n
McLaren, meanwhile, is now weaker than the RB21 on very fast or very slow tracks and when the car is required to attack bumps or kerbs. It appears to retain its class-leading tyre-management abilities.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a combination of characteristics that leave the two cars so closely matched that both teams are expecting to be beaten at this weekend\u2019s United States Grand Prix.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s back to mid-speed corners, where McLaren was also very strong here,\u201d Mekies said in Singapore. \u201cIn turn 5, turn 9 they have been very, very strong all weekend against us, and you have a lot of them in Austin and in Mexico.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe take it race by race, and then we\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stella, meanwhile, sees the next two rounds differently.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would expect that Austin will still be a bit of a struggle for us, because the corners are tight in many braking areas,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur tracks still remain the likes of Brazil, Qatar, Abu Dhabi. Perhaps earlier on in the season, when we had a bit more advantage, we could go better with some other circuits, but some competitors kept developing their car or understanding better how to use their car, so now the field has become even more competitive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Equipped with new information from the unpredictable four rounds since the mid-season break, let\u2019s consider the run home.<\/p>\n
All the momentum is with Max Verstappen.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX<\/p>\n
2024 qualifying: Norris (1) ahead of Verstappen (2)<\/p>\n
2024 race: Verstappen (3) ahead of Norris (4)<\/p>\n
Stats that matter: Verstappen is a three-time winner from the last four events; McLaren last won here in 2012.<\/p>\n
The Circuit of the Americas is the most conventional permanent circuit the sport will visit for the rest of the season, featuring a wide array of corners that will offer something for both teams.<\/p>\n
As Mekies predicts, McLaren will dominate the first half of the circuit, which is dominated by medium and high-speed corners modelled on Silverstone\u2019s Maggots and Becketts.<\/p>\n
But the second half of the track is dominated by tight corners, which will give Red Bull Racing an advantage, as Stella posits.<\/p>\n
The Sunday forecast is for a sunny day of 31\u00b0C. That\u2019s good news for McLaren and its tyre strength.<\/p>\n
But the bad news is COTA is historically very bumpy, which could knock the car back out of its sweet spot. Plus this race being a multiple-stop affair will put pressure on McLaren\u2019s emerging pit stop weakness.<\/p>\n
The tie breaker? History is very much on Red Bull Racing and Verstappen\u2019s side.<\/p>\n
Verdict: Red Bull Racing.<\/p>\n
MEXICO CITY GRAND PRIX<\/p>\n
2024 qualifying: Verstappen (2) ahead of Norris (3)<\/p>\n
2024 race: Norris (2) ahead of Verstappen (6)<\/p>\n
Stats that matter: Verstappen is a five-time winner from the last seven events; no McLaren driver has won here in the circuit\u2019s modern history.<\/p>\n
Mexico City\u2019s Aut\u00f3dromo Hermanos Rodr\u00edguez is one of the sport\u2019s oddest outliers. Situated 2240 metres above sea level, the thinness of the air has a significant impact on the cars, which produce less downforce than they do in Monza despite running as much wing as they do in Monaco. The rare air also substantially affects engine and brake cooling.<\/p>\n
Austria is the only high-altitude race run this year, but at only around 700 metres above sea level, it doesn\u2019t really compare.<\/p>\n
The layout on paper is Red Bull Racing territory, comprising lots of slow and fiddly corners between long flat-out blasts, though perhaps McLaren\u2019s efficient cooling package can claw back some performance.<\/p>\n
Verdict: Red Bull Racing.<\/p>\n
S\u00c3O PAULO GRAND PRIX<\/p>\n
2024 qualifying: Norris (1) ahead of Verstappen (12)<\/p>\n
2024 race: Verstappen (1) ahead of Norris (6)<\/p>\n
Stats that matter: Verstappen is a three-time winner, including the last two grands prix; McLaren last won here in 2012.<\/p>\n
Last year\u2019s race in Interlagos all but snuffed out Norris\u2019s longshot hopes of beating Verstappen to the title, but that result was owed to the Dutchman\u2019s peerless brilliance in the wet rather than car performance.<\/p>\n
The track characteristics should have made this \u2014 and should make this \u2014 a McLaren track. Aut\u00f3dromo Jos\u00e9 Carlos Pace is a momentum circuit of McLaren\u2019s favourite long, medium-speed bends.<\/p>\n
Indeed McLaren locked out the sprint front row and claimed a one-two in the short race in dry conditions, and Norris even managed to take pole in the treacherous wet of Sunday qualifying.<\/p>\n
In the wet race, though, the team fell apart, and Verstappen charged from 12th to a stunning victory.<\/p>\n
Consider this unfinished business.<\/p>\n
Verdict: McLaren \u2014 unless it\u2019s wet.<\/p>\n
LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX<\/p>\n
2024 qualifying: Verstappen (5) ahead of Norris (6)<\/p>\n
2024 race: Verstappen (5) ahead of Norris (6)<\/p>\n
Stats that matter: Verstappen is one of two winners here; no McLaren driver has never qualified or finished higher than sixth.<\/p>\n
If McLaren has had Brazil pencilled in as a lucrative weekend, Las Vegas will have been circled in permanent marker as a danger round.<\/p>\n
McLaren has never been good in the unique conditions of Las Vegas\u2019s long straights, slow corners and chilly climate. It was dreadful in the race\u2019s first year and merely underwhelming last season.<\/p>\n
Given everything we know about Red Bull Racing\u2019s relative strengths at high speed and on street tracks, this is a Verstappen no-brainer.<\/p>\n
That said, Mercedes will start the round favourite after having dominated this race last year and with this year\u2019s car still exhibiting many of the same characteristics as its predecessor.<\/p>\n
Verdict: Red Bull Racing \u2014 but probably behind Mercedes.<\/p>\n
Verstappen has history in Las Vegas.Source: AFP<\/p>\n
QATAR GRAND PRIX<\/p>\n
2024 qualifying: Verstappen (1) ahead of Norris (3)<\/p>\n
2024 race: Verstappen (1) ahead of Piastri (3)<\/p>\n
Stats that matter: Verstappen has won the last two grands prix here; McLaren has won the last two sprints.<\/p>\n
This is the second circuit McLaren believes will be a strong one this year, though it failed to take pole or win in Lusail last season.<\/p>\n
It was partly down to circumstance, with Norris penalised for ignoring yellow flags during the race and dropping out of victory contention, but there\u2019s no doubt Red Bull Racing and Verstappen found a sweet spot with set-up to take on McLaren.<\/p>\n
But the layout is clearly in the McLaren column, being dominated by long-duration, high-speed bends. The only possible quirk is that for the last two seasons this circuit hasn\u2019t overheated the tyres, which could give Verstappen an in if circumstances flow his way.<\/p>\n
Verdict: McLaren.<\/p>\n
ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX<\/p>\n
2024 qualifying: Norris (1) ahead of Verstappen (5)<\/p>\n
2024 race: Norris (1) ahead of Verstappen (6)<\/p>\n
Stats that matter: Verstappen has won four of the last five races here from pole; Norris won from pole last season.<\/p>\n
Norris won from pole in Yas Marina last season to confirm the constructors title for McLaren, and it\u2019s easy to see why the team is forecasting another romp this year. The track is wide and billiard table smooth, eliminating some potential weaknesses, while the 2021 reconfiguration of the track has made it faster and more flowing by deleting the sort of fiddly corners this year\u2019s car wouldn\u2019t have liked.<\/p>\n
That said, this circuit won\u2019t be totally unfriendly to Red Bull Racing.<\/p>\n
The right turn 5 hairpin leads on the first back straight, which ends in a chicane. The third sector is also supposed to mimic a traditional street layout with its slow 90-degree corners that will favour the RB21.<\/p>\n
It might not be enough to make this a Red Bull Racing track, but it could be closer than last year suggested.<\/p>\n
Verdict: McLaren.<\/p>\n
Overall count: 3-3<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We\u2019re three quarters into the 2025 Formula 1 season, but the game has just changed. In the background…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":216281,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[573],"tags":[944,2095,13273,1724,64,14017,63,961,132208,132220,132201,132217,11308,2065,132224,2791,31300,132219,132227,132215,132221,59961,132230,132222,132206,14210,132210,16177,132202,2057,817,132225,21745,813,816,132223,841,14211,132212,132229,132213,99280,2328,1737,2623,132234,825,2184,13756,132218,132216,927,932,2627,2041,2067,122764,132228,132214,16260,946,132232,132207,765,106042,942,11298,2812,3595,85,73242,117411,132226,132231,3370,132211,132203,132205,132209,132204,2614,88831,12000,2062,132233,101325],"class_list":["post-216280","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-formula-1","tag-abu-dhabi","tag-america","tag-andrea-stella","tag-asia","tag-au","tag-austin","tag-australia","tag-azerbaijan","tag-billiard-table-smooth","tag-boss-rages","tag-brake-cooling","tag-braking-areas","tag-brazil","tag-canada","tag-car-performance","tag-central-america","tag-championship-battle","tag-championship-showdown","tag-chaos-looms","tag-circuits-suit","tag-class-leading-tyre-management-abilities","tag-constructors-title","tag-conventional-permanent","tag-crazy-scenario","tag-development-tail","tag-driver-market","tag-drivers-standings","tag-drivers-title","tag-efficient-cooling-package","tag-europe","tag-f1","tag-fiddly-corners","tag-form-guide","tag-formula-1","tag-formula1","tag-genuine-championship-threat","tag-grand-prix","tag-grands-prix","tag-hairpin-leads","tag-high-downforce-street-track","tag-hysteria-exposedpossible","tag-italian-team-principal","tag-italy","tag-lando-norris","tag-las-vegas","tag-looming-rule-changes","tag-max-verstappen","tag-mexico","tag-mid-season-break","tag-momentum-circuit","tag-momentum-swing","tag-monaco","tag-monza","tag-nevada","tag-north-america","tag-northern-america","tag-oscar-watches","tag-outlier-circuit","tag-permanent-marker","tag-qatar","tag-red-bull-racing","tag-relative-strengths","tag-right-rhythm","tag-run-home","tag-sea-level","tag-singapore","tag-south-america","tag-south-eastern-asia","tag-southern-europe","tag-sports","tag-states-grand","tag-street-tracks","tag-sweet-spot","tag-tentative-conclusions","tag-texas","tag-three-time-winner","tag-tie-breaker","tag-track-characteristics","tag-traditional-street-layout","tag-tyre-strength","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-victory-contention","tag-western-asia","tag-western-europe","tag-worst-qualifying","tag-worst-qualifying-result"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216280","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=216280"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216280\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/216281"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=216280"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=216280"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=216280"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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