2023 - McLaren Formula 1 Team

[mwillems]

Why sacrifice development. As past showed they wouldn't have goten any serious consequences.

They had a cap on Tunnel and CFD time.

[Darth-Piekus]

That was on 2022. 2023 was clear. Right?

[mwillems]

That was on 2022. 2023 was clear. Right?

The penalty was running through to this year. In fact, doesn't that end around about now???!

[PierreW]

Do you think that the team order was warranted? Norris looked like he could enter the DRS zone and make a clean overtake. They could have called it off if Piastri was able to resist to avoid unnecessary risks and a long dangerous battle.

[mwillems]

That was on 2022. 2023 was clear. Right?

The penalty was running through to this year. In fact, doesn't that end around about now???!

It ends on the 25th of October.

[FittingMechanics]

Do you think that the team order was warranted? Norris looked like he could enter the DRS zone and make a clean overtake. They could have called it off if Piastri was able to resist to avoid unnecessary risks and a long dangerous battle.

I don't think this is true. Norris didn't really back off, Piastri picked up the pace. I think Norris may have pushed more but probably couldn't overtake.

[MCLvamos]

Amazing race pace by Lando. Poor quali but he showed his class today! Faster than even Verstappen at times, but I do think Max would've covered off the McLarens if they were a threat. The gap was artificially reduced due to Max pitting so late, and he probably wasn't pushing that much each other. Even got the hurry-up from GP, when we are used to hearing the opposite.

[trinidefender]

Firstly. Congratulations to Piastri. He really deserved it and drove a faultless race. Definite improvement in tyre management compared to Suzuka although I do think the 18 lap limit helped. If that limit wasn't there I wonder how the race would have been different.

Secondly. Well done to Norris. A lesson in race pace and damage limitation. Yes there was the crash that took out Hamilton and put Russel back but even having to move through the field he still managed to reel in Piastri throughout the race. He still has a bit of a race pace and tyre management advantage overall.

Third. Team orders weren't necessary. Not from the point of view of wanting to see a fight but that when Norris picked up the pace to close on Piastri, Piastri responded. Norris was still closing but not quickly enough.

Fourth. Well done to McLaren. Strategy on point and I think new pitstop record?

[mwillems]

Do you think that the team order was warranted? Norris looked like he could enter the DRS zone and make a clean overtake. They could have called it off if Piastri was able to resist to avoid unnecessary risks and a long dangerous battle.

Felt unnecessary to me but the team wanted to protect it. Lando looked quicker, although we can't tell for sure until we see the telemetry what happened. But on this case Oscar got the rub of the decision.

[CjC]

I just can not believe they called team orders. They should have gone like hell on that hard tyre

Why? You think they could have got Max?

I think it would have been close. Maybe pass him when he pitted but he’d have passed with the newer medium?

For all I know they could have gone like hell but just in the order they finished

[MCLvamos]

The only valid reason they would've let Lando through at that point imo was to challenge Max. In hindsight if Lando was let past he may have been closer to him when Max had his slow last stop, but Max probably would have been clear either way. Anyway, who cares, both our drivers are performing amazing and we have another double podium. Don't get drawn in to all the toxic nonsense pushed by non-McLaren fans on Twitter.

[Emag]

With a 2 and 3 on the start grid and a free tyre choice we could have gone hunting.

I'm not sure life could have been made much easier than what happened at the start. Only Lando had to fight to get 3rd but that was fairly routine.

Don't want to take anything from Oscar's performance today, but on a clean race with Lando starting alongside Max today, I think we would have given RedBull a run for their money. Especially with their botched pistop in the end.

Lando was faster than Max (on clear air) on the first stint before McLaren pit him to cover slower cars, which I think was a mistake. Highly likely that Max had more pace in hand, because he didn't really have to risk anything to push hard, but I am a bit bummed we didn't get the chance to see the real gap between the cars today.

And with Lando right behind him, I think Max would have been forced to go a bit harder.

[CMC]

McLaren are looking like 2024 WCC candidates if Red Bull keep Checo in their 2nd car.

[mwillems]

Firstly. Congratulations to Piastri. He really deserved it and drove a faultless race. Definite improvement in tyre management compared to Suzuka although I do think the 18 lap limit helped. If that limit wasn't there I wonder how the race would have been different.

Secondly. Well done to Norris. A lesson in race pace and damage limitation. Yes there was the crash that took out Hamilton and put Russel back but even having to move through the field he still managed to reel in Piastri throughout the race. He still has a bit of a race pace and tyre management advantage overall.

Third. Team orders weren't necessary. Not from the point of view of wanting to see a fight but that when Norris picked up the pace to close on Piastri, Piastri responded. Norris was still closing but not quickly enough.

Fourth. Well done to McLaren. Strategy on point and I think new pitstop record?

It's why you need to nail those Qualy laps, otherwise it'd be Norris 2nd.


Oscar did look much better here but it was explained to me that the tyres wear differently here and despite wearing down, weren't punishing the tyres thermally which is why Oscar wasn't so bad on tyre deg and caught earlier by Lando, obviously also helped by the tyre lap limit too.

But still, a mighty duo here at Mclaren and whilst we didn't see a fight today, be in no doubt that it is coming.

[McL-H]

Great race from the guys and awesome that 1.8 pitstop!!! All pitstops were really good actually.

The team have all the data, so they probably know better. But I thought we pitted Oscar too early on the first stint. The traffic really hurt him and opened the gap to Verstappen. Eventually this lost time mattered a lot seeing the gap to Max at the finish. I think we maybe looked too far behind instead of to the front, thinking Max is out of reach anyway. Which normally is the case, but it wasn’t this weekend.

Not meant to criticise the team btw. The team hasn’t made me this happy since 2012. They are acing it!