If you extrapolate points from the last five races (which excludes RBR's Monaco debacle), McLaren is averaging 8 more points per race. At this rate, McLaren will reel in Red Bull in the standings by the Mexico round.![]()
YupSeason keeps delivering.
Great race - good racing, and a bit of drama.
Speculation about Russell's weight underage is that his tires lost some weight on the extended stint and the lack of a cooldown lap after the checkers at Spa prevented him from picking up tire marbles to make up the difference.
This was a good discussion on the story.
Speculation about Russell's weight underage is that his tires lost some weight on the extended stint and the lack of a cooldown lap after the checkers at Spa prevented him from picking up tire marbles to make up the difference.
What’s wild is that Mercedes left extra fuel in the car on purpose to try and cover it up

What looked like a promising weekend for Perez turned out to be just as bad as the others. In some ways, it exposed Checo's weaknesses even more than the races where he went out in Q1. He turned a front row start into a P8 before the DSQ. Verstappen started nine positions behind and passed him at the midway point of the race.
I'm probably the last idiot in this thread to come around to Perez being replaced but I think it's happening now.
Meanwhile Logan made a pass in the last 2 laps. Just sayin'![]()
Reading more on this- three other cars did a one stop and made weight after.
Speculation about Russell's weight underage is that his tires lost some weight on the extended stint and the lack of a cooldown lap after the checkers at Spa prevented him from picking up tire marbles to make up the difference.
Logan going to Indy car in 2025?What looked like a promising weekend for Perez turned out to be just as bad as the others. In some ways, it exposed Checo's weaknesses even more than the races where he went out in Q1. He turned a front row start into a P8 before the DSQ. Verstappen started nine positions behind and passed him at the midway point of the race.
I'm probably the last idiot in this thread to come around to Perez being replaced but I think it's happening now.
Meanwhile Logan made a pass in the last 2 laps. Just sayin'
-QG
Latest I saw was he never did a cool down lap, and might have gained some weight picking up rubber and whatnot on sticky tires.Reading more on this- three other cars did a one stop and made weight
Speculation about Russell's weight underage is that his tires lost some weight on the extended stint and the lack of a cooldown lap after the checkers at Spa prevented him from picking up tire marbles to make up the difference.
True, but the others cars who did a one stop also didn't do a cooldown lap and still made weight.Latest I saw was he never did a cool down lap, and might have gained some weight picking up rubber and whatnot on sticky tires.Reading more on this- three other cars did a one stop and made weight
Speculation about Russell's weight underage is that his tires lost some weight on the extended stint and the lack of a cooldown lap after the checkers at Spa prevented him from picking up tire marbles to make up the difference.
The one thing I'm going to believe until I hear a better story is that the fuel wasn't "accidentally" fully removed. They made weight, but then the extra fuel was removed, and now under.
Fun story anyhow
Sainz to Williams for 2025
One more seat taken...
linkI knew Williams was having a difficult season, but I didn’t realize it’s on pace to score 7 points this season, which would be its lowest total since 2018.
He hasn't won a race since June and Mercedes have won 3 of 4.So is the Red Bull Verstappen utter dominance finally over?
Utter dominance? Yes - I think that is over. There are 4 teams that can be competitive in any given weekend.So is the Red Bull Verstappen utter dominance finally over?
Logan going to Indy car in 2025?What looked like a promising weekend for Perez turned out to be just as bad as the others. In some ways, it exposed Checo's weaknesses even more than the races where he went out in Q1. He turned a front row start into a P8 before the DSQ. Verstappen started nine positions behind and passed him at the midway point of the race.
I'm probably the last idiot in this thread to come around to Perez being replaced but I think it's happening now.
Meanwhile Logan made a pass in the last 2 laps. Just sayin'
-QG
So what changed....the other teams just figured out there cars or were some rules put into place to even the field again?Utter dominance? Yes - I think that is over. There are 4 teams that can be competitive in any given weekend.So is the Red Bull Verstappen utter dominance finally over?
But, Red Bull still have a great car, and Max is probably still the best driver.
I would guess Verstappen will get multiple win in the final 10 races after the summer break.
So what changed....the other teams just figured out there cars or were some rules put into place to even the field again?Utter dominance? Yes - I think that is over. There are 4 teams that can be competitive in any given weekend.So is the Red Bull Verstappen utter dominance finally over?
But, Red Bull still have a great car, and Max is probably still the best driver.
I would guess Verstappen will get multiple win in the final 10 races after the summer break.
Little bit of everything really.So what changed....the other teams just figured out there cars or were some rules put into place to even the field again?Utter dominance? Yes - I think that is over. There are 4 teams that can be competitive in any given weekend.So is the Red Bull Verstappen utter dominance finally over?
But, Red Bull still have a great car, and Max is probably still the best driver.
I would guess Verstappen will get multiple win in the final 10 races after the summer break.
The arguments I have seen for why Ricciardo will get the seat make a lot of sense to me.Red Bull 2nd seat is ready for him
There is a cap on tunnel time that is inverse to your position in the standings so that is surely some of it.
Also not implausible that with such a large advantage Red Bull has turned a good chunk of attention to the new 2026 car.
Maybe Vowles is a better interview than team leader.
That's what I was referencing above...wasn't even bothering watching knowing Max Verstappen was going to win every single time.This season has been a lot more interesting now that other teams have caught up to RB.
I wouldn't follow F1 if I only cared about who won.That's what I was referencing above...wasn't even bothering watching knowing Max Verstappen was going to win every single time.
Apparently Checo will stay at Red Bull this season:
RBR Daily
@RBR_Daily
·
2m
Sergio Perez will be staying on at Red Bull Racing
This has been confirmed by the team.
[@ErikvHaren]
Apparently Checo will stay at Red Bull this season:
RBR Daily
@RBR_Daily
·
2m
Sergio Perez will be staying on at Red Bull Racing
This has been confirmed by the team.
[@ErikvHaren]
That's a tough one, but if I were Carlos I'd probably go with Williams. I think James Vowles is on the right track there, and I think he's very capable from the engineering side.The silly season remains on hold until Sainz signs. His 2025 options are all big downgrades and Audi is a huge unknown for the next tech cycle.
Assuming Carlito has his choice of from the remaining seats, which would you pick between Sauber/Audi, Williams, Alpine and Haas?
The issue is that they are so far behind the curve at the moment (overweight, archaic systems, etc.), it may be a few more years before that organization is no longer putting out fires and instead making real progress. As good as James can be, he can't pull that team out of the dark ages in one tug.
Having a driver team of Albon and Sainz for the near future could help though.

Sainz was the only other name that made sense because those Max rumors are too silly even for silly season.
Confidence in this project is at an all time low but there's never a shortage of guys with a superlicense and a helmet. Hulk turns 37 next month so they don't need another old driver. 2025 is another gap year for the team before Audi takes over. If it was my team, I'd probably keep Zhou and his big money for another year which is the most boring, uninspiring choice imaginable.That looks awesome.I was reading about Verstappen getting flak because of his sim racing, and I don't really know what sim racing was, so I looked it up, seems very cool.
Then I was thinking that would make a fun sports bar concept, so I started looking around, and there is an F1 arcade in Boston, which I had no idea.
That looks insanely fun, I'm going next month.
Hadn't seen those venues yet, pretty neat idea. I've been iRacing for about 4 years and run into (not literally) multiple IndyCar and NASCAR drivers over that time, but haven't seen Max yet. I actually run weekly in a league with a retired NASCAR driver. I think the complaint with Max is that he is on racing at 2am before he has a race that day. I can't say I haven't gotten sucked in to being on when I should be in bed but then I'm not having to go out and operate a million dollar piece of equipment on the edge when I wake up groggy.I was reading about Verstappen getting flak because of his sim racing, and I don't really know what sim racing was, so I looked it up, seems very cool.
Then I was thinking that would make a fun sports bar concept, so I started looking around, and there is an F1 arcade in Boston, which I had no idea.
That looks insanely fun, I'm going next month.
One good thing about following a sport where pretty much every athlete is an entitled rich kid, is that when someone questions the activities of a three time world champion-and best driver in the world-we don't get a canned PR answer, and instead, Verstappen simply saysI think the complaint with Max is that he is on racing at 2am before he has a race that day. I can't say I haven't gotten sucked in to being on when I should be in bed but then I'm not having to go out and operate a million dollar piece of equipment on the edge when I wake up groggy.
Not to mention if Max iRacing at 2am pisses them off just imagine how they would have loved James Hunt today.One good thing about following a sport where pretty much every athlete is an entitled rich kid, is that when someone questions the activities of a three time world champion-and best driver in the world-we don't get a canned PR answer, and instead, Verstappen simply saysI think the complaint with Max is that he is on racing at 2am before he has a race that day. I can't say I haven't gotten sucked in to being on when I should be in bed but then I'm not having to go out and operate a million dollar piece of equipment on the edge when I wake up groggy.
"They can f**k off"
Looking like Newey will head to Aston Martin - and I imagine they are targeting a big splash with the 2026 regs.
I wonder who will partner Stroll in 2026?
