2025 McLaren F1 Team

[mwillems]

Some arbitrary rankings of the drivers pairings.

Mclaren are at number 2.

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/2025 ... t-to-best/

I’d honestly put McLaren as no.1 at present, in the fact that the paring is a know quantity

Hamilton form is a big question mark. Given a car he can adapt to, he is unstoppable, but we have yet to see him adapt to a current gen car. Maybe the traits of the Ferrari will suit him, maybe they won’t

Both our drivers are obviously top, Lando being better than Oscar. If lando and Charles are on the same level, which they may well be, I wouldn't put Oscar ahead of Lewis.

I love Oscar for what he can do but I think he's a bit more to do to legitimately claim he's a better driver than Lewis.

[the EDGE]

Some arbitrary rankings of the drivers pairings.

Mclaren are at number 2.

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/2025 ... t-to-best/

I’d honestly put McLaren as no.1 at present, in the fact that the paring is a know quantity

Hamilton form is a big question mark. Given a car he can adapt to, he is unstoppable, but we have yet to see him adapt to a current gen car. Maybe the traits of the Ferrari will suit him, maybe they won’t

Both our drivers are obviously top, Lando being better than Oscar. If lando and Charles are on the same level, which they may well be, I wouldn't put Oscar ahead of Lewis.

I love Oscar for what he can do but I think he's a bit more to do to legitimately claim he's a better driver than Lewis.

That’s a very good pint, but in F1 you’re only as good as you last race. Admittedly, Lewis’ last race went very well, but apart from the Max intervention, Piastri was having a great weekend too

[mwillems]

Both Oscar and Lewis had ups and downs last year but I think that Lewis was in some difficult circumstances with him leaving the team. Even so, I think Lewis has more, but hey, that's just an opinion. Can't wait to see Charles fight Lewis. Quite frankly, if prime Charles can't get on top of pension age Lewis then he's going to struggle. But I'm more than happy with the drivers we have in terms of the team achieving points collectively.

[Ground Effect]

Well, if the reasoning is which team has the best combination of drivers, it should be the team that combined to win the WCC. I'm not sure we should look at drivers individually and say X is better than the team if Y & Z. Instead, we should ask how they performed together as a team.

[mwillems]

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mclaren-z ... axe-moment

Zak explaining why he didn't keep Seidl, amongst other things.

[the EDGE]

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mclaren-z ... axe-moment

Zak explaining why he didn't keep Seidl, amongst other things.

One of the most interesting things I have read in a long time

[mwillems]

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mclaren-z ... axe-moment

Zak explaining why he didn't keep Seidl, amongst other things.

One of the most interesting things I have read in a long time

A lot of it has been said before around the management team. It's the first time he mention Seidl explicitly though, he'd previously only cast shade on Key explicitly.

I didnt see it in this article, but if i recall, right after the French GP, Zak spent a few days talking the situation over with Stella about what needed to happen and it was in these days he realised that Stella was the man to lead the team.

[mwillems]

Well, if the reasoning is which team has the best combination of drivers, it should be the team that combined to win the WCC. I'm not sure we should look at drivers individually and say X is better than the team if Y & Z. Instead, we should ask how they performed together as a team.

Yeah but the car is also a factor.

[FittingMechanics]

“We are actually a year ahead of schedule. The current car was developed in the old wind tunnel. The new one didn’t go online until 2023. Rob Marshall didn’t start working with us until the beginning of 2024.” - Zak

[BMMR61]

“We are actually a year ahead of schedule. The current car was developed in the old wind tunnel. The new one didn’t go online until 2023. Rob Marshall didn’t start working with us until the beginning of 2024.” - Zak

That is correct - Zak said that 2024 they expected to be scoring frequent podiums and the odd win, with 2025 being the year they would be ready to win regularly and challenge fro the championship(s). I don't think they expected 6 wins plus 15 podiums and the WCC when the season started and McLaren lagged behind RedBull and Ferrari. Now expectations will be very high despite anything they may say to the contrary.

[90feet]

“We are actually a year ahead of schedule. The current car was developed in the old wind tunnel. The new one didn’t go online until 2023. Rob Marshall didn’t start working with us until the beginning of 2024.” - Zak

I think a lot of the updates for the 2024 car were developed in the new tunnel though, right?

[mwillems]

“We are actually a year ahead of schedule. The current car was developed in the old wind tunnel. The new one didn’t go online until 2023. Rob Marshall didn’t start working with us until the beginning of 2024.” - Zak

I think a lot of the updates for the 2024 car were developed in the new tunnel though, right?

Yeah the new tunnel was in use through last year, but the underlying base will still be ripe for some adaptation based on what they are now able to get from the data, assuming they didn't hit upon the perfect base concept last year.

[pazazamadaz]

We've not had any teaser photos of the build of the car yet, have we?

[the EDGE]

We've not had any teaser photos of the build of the car yet, have we?

I was thinking this myself at the weekend

Not only that, but we’ve had nothing at all from McLaren recently, other than the incredibly boring ‘unlocked’ series on YouTube

I’m guessing the head of the fan engagement team left… and was replaced by a bot

Please McLaren… if your listening… bring back the fun

[BMMR61]

We've not had any teaser photos of the build of the car yet, have we?

I was thinking this myself at the weekend

Not only that, but we’ve had nothing at all from McLaren recently, other than the incredibly boring ‘unlocked’ series on YouTube

I’m guessing the head of the fan engagement team left… and was replaced by a bot

Please McLaren… if your listening… bring back the fun

January 6th, today is the traditional start of the working year. Add a bit of inertia, especially in comms and I think we might get some teasers within the next week. With the all teams livery launch still 6 weeks away, expect some obviously recycled stories. Just to say, it's a good time after the longest season ever to enjoy some "gardening leave" and restore frayed marriages and friendships with people who just don't get F1.