Chuckjr wrote: ↑17 Mar 2025, 09:08
venkyhere wrote: ↑17 Mar 2025, 08:58
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.
Very true. I think Horner has dug his grave allowing/watching key elements of this team just walk away. They have eroded from what they once were. I'm thinking Max will go to Merc next year because they likely will have the best engine and I think their chassis will be decent enough to get him into a contending seat for a number of years during the new regs.
This is such a tired narrative, big names will continue to switch teams. There is literally nothing RB can do to keep these people, if they are being offered a promotion/higher pay, especially not in this cost cap era where almost every team is running in the green. Only 3 personnel that are exempt from the cost cap. The same thing will happen to MCL if they have sustained success, there is no escaping it.
Also let's not pretend MCL haven't benefited massively from the increased ATR due to their poor placement in the earlier seasons.
For 498% ATR (Red Bull's total):
Wind tunnel runs: 1,599
CFD items: 9,995
For 590% ATR (McLaren's total):
Wind tunnel runs: 1,888
CFD items: 11,800
MCL have had an 18% more wind tunnel and CFD items than RB this reg set, it all adds up, they have simply tested more items and crossed off more stuff that doesn't work than RB. On a long enough time scale even Alpine will out develop RB, never mind an equally competent team like MCL.
You say RB has lost a lot of staff while ignoring that the same has happened to Merc (their HPP department alone lost 200 employees RBPT).
For all the negatives at RB there's a lot of good things happening too, new state of the art wind tunnel coming online in 2026, new state of the engine facility with help from Ford and some of the best talent from other competing engine manufacturers. If would be better for Max to wait out 26 and see who's best rather than gambling on Mercedes.