2025 Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 Team

[Paa]

This would be a bad sign for RedBull, because:
1. It would clearly indicate lack of confidence in whatever they are cooking.
2. It would not be status quo compared to this year, as they will lose factory status. So basically Aston-Newey will dictate their requirements to Honda and then Red Bull would get whatever they come up with and they have to adjust. Might be an improvement to their own engine, but far from ideal.
3. Either way, they should know by now as work on the new car is already underway. I assume different engine has different dimensions and fixing points, cooling requirements, power delivery etc.
4. What about their fuel supplier? I assume Red Bull has now a different one which won't be optimized for the Honda engine?

3) fixing points are mandated by regulations so that any engine can go to any car.
Mclaren beat Mercedes with non-factory status
4) they would use the Aramco products with the Honda. Unsponsored like Mclaren/Mercedes.
It makes a bit of sense especially if Tsunoda stays for next year…Honda would not miss opportunity to support him, as well as have the extra customer to develop.

Thanks for the extra bits, I'm not that up-to-date in the details.
I agree it make sense, but only in the framework that they have problems in their own development.
So yeah, if they are behind, this is a sensible way of firefighting and have a temporary solution. It makes a lot of sense from this perspective.

But from our perspective, who don't have insight, it would be the first and firm confirmation about their handicap. And from this point of view this is rather bad news.

In short: this is a good handling of a catastrophic scenario. But for me the big news is that we have a catastrophic scenario, and how they come out of this is only the secondary news.

Also this reminds me of Verstappen's cryptic message after winning Suzuka. Something along the lines that "who knows if I'll still continue to work with Honda sometime in the future". At that time everybody assumed that Max is messaging his possible departure to Aston. But maybe he just hinted this scenario.

[organic]

Max actually said after quali that the balance was not where he wanted it to be. He said better than fp3 but not what he wants. Pretty interesting

[Paa]

Max actually said after quali that the balance was not where he wanted it to be. He said better than fp3 but not what he wants. Pretty interesting

When was the last time Max was happy with the balance btw? Maybe few races in 2023?
I feel that "I can't turn the car" from Max will slowly become the same as "The tyres are gone" from Lewis.

[AR3-GP]

Max actually said after quali that the balance was not where he wanted it to be. He said better than fp3 but not what he wants. Pretty interesting

The car hasn't been fully updated. They never denied the balance issues. Tsunoda was nowhere.

[Ashwinv16]

Yuki for the third time in row has gone slower in Q3 than in Q2. He was also consistently slower on New Tires compared to Used tires. Would have been fifth with the Q2 time. The 2nd seat continues to be a mystery.

i think you need two runs to get the most .they should have given him time like Max.they left it too late for someone inexperienced .maybe they were afraid he will crush and ruin max run

Replays shows he was used to give a Tow For Max so I guess that's the plan.

[Cs98]

Max actually said after quali that the balance was not where he wanted it to be. He said better than fp3 but not what he wants. Pretty interesting

When was the last time Max was happy with the balance btw? Maybe few races in 2023?
I feel that "I can't turn the car" from Max will slowly become the same as "The tyres are gone" from Lewis.

I think you can see it in the lap. He can't carry the speed in some of the sharp turn in corners. The super high speed at the start of S3 he almost understeers off the track.

[ME4ME]

I don't get the Honda for 2026 thing.
The RBPT unit must be massively behind for them to allegedly consider that.

You're giving Honda (which will be a rival manufacturer) the benefit of two extra cars on track while giving up your own benefit.

The short term gain would cost Red Bull long term. Normally you wouldn't do that but perhaps internal and external pressure on the team is too high currently.

[organic]

I don't get the Honda for 2026 thing.
The RBPT unit must be massively behind for them to allegedly consider that.

You're giving Honda (which will be a rival manufacturer) the benefit of two extra cars on track while giving up your own benefit.

The short term gain would cost Red Bull long term. Normally you wouldn't do that but perhaps internal and external pressure on the team is too high currently.

Max has release clauses related to engine performance. This may be part of it

[AR3-GP]

You're giving Honda (which will be a rival manufacturer) the benefit of two extra cars on track while giving up your own benefit.

but to Red Bull's benefit, they now have an engine to benchmark against. It is a mutually beneficial compromise.

[Sergej]

[f1isgood]

Verstappen is actually multiple tiers better than every other driver on the grid it's not even close. I can't recall the last time the gap was this big. Better than any driver I have watched that's for sure.

Also, that ghost lap is very much like last year's pole, Max really goes as close to the walls as possible, it's frankly ridiculous. No one got them balls on the grid to take that extra risk at least not around Jeddah.

[f1isgood]

The temps brought everyone closer and it was close enough for Max to work his magic. Lando looked like the faster McLaren here, but he binned it on the first lap of Q3

What would max in a McLaren do

2023 but on steroids.

[f1isgood]

On another note, I think his 2024 pole lap was better and maybe the best lap around Jeddah --

[Sergej]

yeah that turn 4 was just pure perfection

something like Suzuka 2023 pole, another perfect lap over the 2025 one

but these poles have a different taste of course, being on the non-fastest car

[f1isgood]

yeah that turn 4 was just pure perfection

something like Suzuka 2023 pole, another perfect lap over the 2025 one

but these poles have a different taste of course, being on the non-fastest car

On that note, this car doesn't look better than the RB20 in any corner comparing the two laps.

https://imgur.com/a/pole-comparison-2vWaNRd