2025 Chinese Grand Prix [Shanghai] March 21-23

[Luscion]

Yea like Lewis said, he probably isnt going to be able to keep the Mclarens behind him

[F1NAC]

Luckily there is no VER, HAM, LEC or so driving that McL. With Norris and his chokes, races could get more interesting.

[bauc]

Luckily there is no VER, HAM, LEC or so driving that McL. With Norris and his chokes, races could get more interesting.

The (Mclaren) car seems to be very fast but also very tricky to drive when pushed to the max in qualifying trim, both NOR and PIA made mistakes in their Q3 run in Australia, and here the same case, both have made mistakes again, so it appears that the car is fast but also on the edge.

[Cs98]

Luckily there is no VER, HAM, LEC or so driving that McL. With Norris and his chokes, races could get more interesting.

The (Mclaren) car seems to be very fast but also very tricky to drive when pushed to the max in qualifying trim, both NOR and PIA made mistakes in their Q3 run in Australia, and here the same case, both have made mistakes again, so it appears that the car is fast but also on the edge.

Doubt that it's more difficult than any other car. The car has the most performance, the most turn-in, the most tyre life. It's just about nailing the lap when it counts. McLaren even got two runs.

[Vettel165]

Mega laps by the champions Lewis and Max. Just wow, amazing sprint.

[search]

Tires left (based on my own notes). I guess everyone will prefer to keep new HHM for the race, so most will likely do the sprint on used mediums.

[Downforce777]

According to the interim results, McLaren is ahead by a couple of tenths, Norris could be a tenth or two ahead of Lewis, but Ferrari really looks good so far, as do Verstappen and Merc.

[CjC]

Tires left (based on my own notes). I guess everyone will prefer to keep new HHM for the race, so most will likely do the sprint on used mediums.

https://i.imgur.com/l2K0ll0.png

Already a tyre advantage for Verstappen, Norris and then Piastri

[venkyhere]

Ferrari has improved by huge amounts in medium speed and high speed corners. The only car that was faster than Hamilton in 1-2-3 and the middle sector high speed section 7-8-9-10, was Norris on his aborted final lap. Norris was 0.25+ up on Hamilton before T11 started. Norris got greedy with 11-12-13 and spoiled his exit to the back straight, and inorder to compensate went super greedy with late braking into 14 hairpin, slid out ; and then went into the pits. Without the mistakes, Norris would've qualified with 0.30+ advantage

Max was 0.20+ down on Hamilton before the final T14 hairpin. However, he gained all of it back in this single corner (early braking and turning in, thus shortening the corner to have a super-straight-ish exit). 0.018 near as makes no difference, it's the same laptime for all practical purposes. But the RB21 is nowhere deserving of front row. It's poorer than McLaren and Ferrari through the long corners 1-2-3 and 11-12-13, both of whom have a much sharper front end. These long corners are the USP of this track, where all the laptime sits. Especially in race trim.

[organic]

[chrisc90]

The higher top speed of the RBR and Ferrari might make it a little hard to overtake them in the sprint and the race. Mclaren were dropping a decent bit of speed on the straights.

[Vettel165]

The higher top speed of the RBR and Ferrari might make it a little hard to overtake them in the sprint and the race. Mclaren were dropping a decent bit of speed on the straights.

Must be the water!

Yeah will see Red Bull needs some updates in the next few races to improve the front-end of the car in the slow-speed corners. Which could give more confidence to the drivers. Was watching the onboard in that s1, and the car was having some snaps of oversteer and also understeer. Which means balance wasnt good.

[Ben1980]

Would Oscar swap his sprint poles, for an actual pole position? I guess so.

I'm not sure it's enough to be that bothered about. I don't really mind if the team tried something, or the driver pushed a bit much in testing the limits.

As long as they learn for when it gets important.

[Cassius]

The higher top speed of the RBR and Ferrari might make it a little hard to overtake them in the sprint and the race. Mclaren were dropping a decent bit of speed on the straights.

Must be the water!

Yeah will see Red Bull needs some updates in the next few races to improve the front-end of the car in the slow-speed corners. Which could give more confidence to the drivers. Was watching the onboard in that s1, and the car was having some snaps of oversteer and also understeer. Which means balance wasnt good.

Max' minimum speed in T1 was higher on his medium lap in SQ2 vs the lap on softs. Could be tyre prep as well, or some added understeer to protect tyres in the race, given that the FP1 deg was really high on the car.

[ringo]

New track record by the way.