2025 Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 Team

[f1isgood]

What a megalap from Super Max. The RB21 is strong in high-speed corners. Of course, it's still a bit slower than the McLaren, but Verstappen made the difference today. Let's hope he can convert it into a win tomorrow. With the Imola upgrades coming, the championship is still within reach.

don't rush too much, Max made a miracle today and McLaren drivers weren't able to put everything together, we will see tomorrow the real value of the RB21 (if it stays dry)

McLaren had 1 to 2 tenths left IMO. Both drivers of the Papaya team are leaving plenty on the table. Max got the most out of the car.

[Juzh]

The lap

https://streamable.com/pp13o7


Understeer still present in some corners. T2, spoon. 270 kmh in degner 1.

[toraabe]

That lap is pure perfection.

Thats your reason why Max is a class above others on the grid. Just goes to show when you get the likes of Alonso who has been in the sport the longest recognises the fact.

The more the car suits Verstappen the less the other drivers are able to cope with it.

[_cerber1]

Why is no one writing about Tsunoda's failure? Where have all the experts gone who have been talking about his advantages, unique driving technique and better understanding of the engine all week?

For Liam, this would have been the first track where he had raced before, and the results could have been better than in China and Australia.

[organic]

"But the whole weekend, the whole season, it's been difficult to have a normal and constant balance in the car. I'm very clear about how I think the car should be. In 2022 and 2023 it was better to drive. After that we lost our way a bit. It's not up to the drivers to set up the car. We would have studied that. We have to wait and see what the engineers come up with. It's up to them. We have to take steps. Do I have confidence in that? That's not what matters to me, it just has to happen. This weekend it actually didn't go at all. We had the set-up a bit better now, but in terms of driving feel it's still very difficult to get the maximum out of it. To be first then is unbelievable."

[Jdn1327]

Redbull need to do everything in their power to keep Max in this team. With out him they are truly lost. He is really the special factor in this team. He could be in a stake or haas and still get the same result.

[venkyhere]

Super Max. I told you that Verstappen will win. Let's hope the same will happen tomorrow, so my prediction will come true .

Well, Max's car is running way lower DF than both McLarens and still he kept it together in the corners (esp degner2, hairpin and spoon - where the McLaren is vastly vastly superior to anything else) without losing too much time. Realistically, he will fall back in the race because he will get overtaken (despite lower wing) in the straight due to poorer exit than McLarens from the chicane or he will get overtaken in 130R due to poorer exit from spoon. Plus the tyres will get eaten for sure, with this lowDF setup. Verstappen himself will be happy with podium.

But coming to the point - what a drive. Straight out of 'genius' handbook. Up there with Monaco 2023 Q3, Jeddah 2021 Q3 crashed lap, Brazil 2016/2024 etc - times when a driver outdrives the capability of the car and puts it where it doesn't belong ; makes the world drop it's jaw. I am 100% sure there will be naysayers still, who still think he isn't elite level, will say that Norris/Russel/Piastri are better drivers than him et al... anyway. That lap was a psychological hammer blow to other drivers. Told them "im still here" - it doesn't matter that he won't win tomorrow, the message is loud and clear. A true genius.

Why is no one writing about Tsunoda's failure? Where have all the experts gone who have been talking about his advantages, unique driving technique and better understanding of the engine all week?

For Liam, this would have been the first track where he had raced before, and the results could have been better than in China and Australia.

I am waiting for tomorrow, end of race. I took a lot of flak in this thread for saying that Tsunoda is talking a lot of 'hyped up BS' when referring to podium places etc, let's wait. It will be a gladiator fight between Lawson and Tsunoda if they aren't too much away from each other after lap1, given they are starting on the same row.

[venkyhere]

Redbull need to do everything in their power to keep Max in this team. With out him they are truly lost. He is really the special factor in this team. He could be in a stake or haas and still get the same result.

Probably not in a stake/haas , but I get what you are saying. It's hyperbole, but the point is conveyed.
Remember this ?

The biggest weapon that RBR has in it's arsenal, is Max. The moment they lose him, the team will sink like a stone in a pond. I have been watching F1 for years, and I have not seen a single driver who is 'on the limit' straightaway from the pits, whether it's practice session or Q1 or race (he is the guy posting the best time out of everyone's 'first push lap'). He is squeezing the hell out of the theoretical limit of the car, all the time. This has lulled the team into thinking 'X is the performance bar of the car' when it's supposed to be 0.95*X, like it's for all other teams. This is the reason the 2nd driver comes under pressure, Ricciardo couldn't handle it, neither could the others that followed him.

please stop .redbull were champion even before Max stepped foot into f1.they had newey max and all other great engineers before Honda joined them and they won't winning anything.next year they going to race their own engine and they will know their true place after giving flack to renault who made them champion before.if red bull had a mere mortal as a driver they will build a car that can suit him and still win champion similar to what mclaren have now, they have done it before with seb,seb wanted a stable rear end and they give it to him and his strength compared to mark was low speed corners .Max is not the be and end all they are many way to get the most out of yours driver and still be successful.max need a proper teammate they used to have the likes of weber and coulthard as experienced drivers.the problem with liam is he is a junior driver in a senior team ,the place to learn and experiment is at racing bulls,

wow, what a backlash. You misinterpreted.
Probably I should have worded it : "The biggest weapon that RBR has in it's arsenal CURRENTLY, is Max.". They lost Newey, they lost top tech personnel, it's natural that the car suffers. Look what a difference Rob Marshall has made to McLaren. Max is the only 'ace' that they have left, in terms of 'key people'. The moment he too leaves, that will be downfall. That was the context that I was talking from.

[Juzh]

Super Max. I told you that Verstappen will win. Let's hope the same will happen tomorrow, so my prediction will come true .

Well, Max's car is running way lower DF than both McLarens and still he kept it together in the corners (esp degner2, hairpin and spoon - where the McLaren is vastly vastly superior to anything else) without losing too much time. Realistically, he will fall back in the race because he will get overtaken (despite lower wing) in the straight due to poorer exit than McLarens from the chicane or he will get overtaken in 130R due to poorer exit from spoon. Plus the tyres will get eaten for sure, with this lowDF setup. Verstappen himself will be happy with podium.

Not really sure about that. Un-DRSed straights mclaren is level with him and for some reason a lot faster from spoon up to final chicane, even taking norris' better exit from spoon into account. Go check on f1-tempo.

[Aesop]

Could the lower df wings hurt him in the wet?

[Rikhart]

Alonso full of praise.

This has been the case for years on end, if he was in that mclaren, he would do another 2023 or better.

Alonso just said what most intelligent people think.

[venkyhere]

Super Max. I told you that Verstappen will win. Let's hope the same will happen tomorrow, so my prediction will come true .

Well, Max's car is running way lower DF than both McLarens and still he kept it together in the corners (esp degner2, hairpin and spoon - where the McLaren is vastly vastly superior to anything else) without losing too much time. Realistically, he will fall back in the race because he will get overtaken (despite lower wing) in the straight due to poorer exit than McLarens from the chicane or he will get overtaken in 130R due to poorer exit from spoon. Plus the tyres will get eaten for sure, with this lowDF setup. Verstappen himself will be happy with podium.

Not really sure about that. Un-DRSed straights mclaren is level with him and for some reason a lot faster from spoon up to final chicane, even taking norris' better exit from spoon into account. Go check on f1-tempo.

Yes, I posted after checking. McLaren is more 'aero efficient' than the Redbull, so it can carry more DF but still match the straight line pace. When DRS opens, the game is between 'how much of the RW DF comes from flap and how much from mainplane'.

[ringo]

It's a perfect lap. Best i've seen him done ever.
I think it's rare to see full commitment and faith in q3. It has hapened with other examples but this is it for 2025.
Notice his hands at the wheel. He was leaning on the car on the edge of understeer. Picking up the throttle on corner exit right at the limit of traction. What stood out for here is where he puts the car right on the edge of the curbs and doesnt lose speed. Just rides on them and puts the car out the corner without fuss.
Good lap. Shows he really has faith with what's underneath him.
I dont think the car can do this on the edge stuff for 10 laps because the tyres simply will be less predictable and have less capacity for that level of precision. But he's definitely in his own league in terms of car control.

Yuki is still on his first weekend. I wouldnt make too much judgement as some are doing. He was never going to push right up on the edge of this car. He doesnt know the car ultimately.

[Rikhart]

Why is no one writing about Tsunoda's failure? Where have all the experts gone who have been talking about his advantages, unique driving technique and better understanding of the engine all week?

For Liam, this would have been the first track where he had raced before, and the results could have been better than in China and Australia.

Please don't summon the troll.

[ringo]

Redbull need to do everything in their power to keep Max in this team. With out him they are truly lost. He is really the special factor in this team. He could be in a stake or haas and still get the same result.

Umm nah. He is going to do what the car and tyres can do more often than most drivers can.
The RB21 always had the potential for front row, but it's in the eye of a needle.
Max is a veteran redbull driver with a veteran redbull team who knows how the gin up the car for qualy. We have seen many times both driver and pitwall squeeze that last drop out of the car for these kinds of laps.
Redbull and Max need each other indeed. But him going elsewhere is not necessarily better. It's going to require him and his engineers to build over years like theyve done at redbull.