Great race this morning, McLaren are looking VERY strong

Jaxson: Statement race and similar to what we saw form Lando the previous year after the break when Oscar then couldn’t get near him.

Do wonder if those extra points lost to Oscar in that fluff race will come back to haunt…

Jaxson:

Jaxson: Statement race and similar to what we saw form Lando the previous year after the break when Oscar then couldn’t get near him.

Do wonder if those extra points lost to Oscar in that fluff race will come back to haunt…

McLaren’s look to have a serious issue with their launch system?

It'd be one of the few issues they have, if true. However, the car is so quick currently Norris only needs to concentrate on not getting damage at the start and he can drive around whoever might be in front of him with pure speed. Much like Verstappen used to do.

Great race, thought LeClerc did really well considering. Norris still has the measure of Piastri. I think Verstappen has a lock on the WDC this season, barring DNF's. Norris won't be able to close the gap down quick enough in the races remaining, and you'd have to think he won't win everything while Max is probably still good for a top-step result or two before the end of the year.

Yeah again McLaren not fast enough in the first 1/4 or 1/3 of the season, costing them eventually even if great from midway on

thermonuclear:

 

Great race, thought LeClerc did really well considering. Norris still has the measure of Piastri. I think Verstappen has a lock on the WDC this season, barring DNF's. Norris won't be able to close the gap down quick enough in the races remaining, and you'd have to think he won't win everything while Max is probably still good for a top-step result or two before the end of the year.

 

Yea Lando may not get close enough for the Drivers but McLaren are going to win the constructors which will be a big blow to RBR

thermonuclear:

 

tdgeek:

 

Watching FP2 and have watched FP1, Marko stated that Liam Lawson will be in a Red Bull car in 2025. Not an opinion but a statement. 

 

On that Lawson is "locked in" to either RBR or VCARB, which means Danny Ricc or Perez are out

 

 

The statement from Marko, as published in his Austrian newspaper column and picked up by the wider F1 media, has now been refuted by Christian Horner in an interview with Sky UK F1. Horner has said that nothing is decided yet and that it will still be "a few weeks" before they come to a decision about next year with their drivers. Also some comment about having to "check in" with Marko about the latter's claim.

 

It's become pretty clear that RBR is now Horner's ship operationally and that he makes the decisions as he sees fit. With the passing of Mateschitz, Marko has been increasingly marginalised in his role as "Motorsport Advisor" to the point that he really appears to have zero say now around driver decisions.

 

Horner was very smart to lock Marko into a new contract at RBR in that role earlier this year so that he couldn't walk away from the company and potentially trigger the clause in Verstappen's contract to leave if his good friend and mentor Marko was gone. Whether you like him or not (I don't), he has been playing the political game masterfully and now seems to rule the roost.

 

It really feels unlikely that Lawson will get a go at Red Bull while Horner is there. I hope I'm wrong, but Horner has had several chances to promote Lawson into a seat and doesn't appear to rate him good enough to drive for them. Horner seems entrenched at the team more than ever, about the only hope of this changing seems to be his current misconduct difficulties with the female staff member if she decides to take it to a properly independent review. Which does seem likely to me as she has already gone through the process twice now under Red Bull's internal auspices.

 

However, regardless of that, it's not going to happen in time to benefit Lawson if there was change of Team Principal at Red Bull.

 

Its truly bizarre. From a team that cycles through drivers with the aim being to maximise. Now they will lose the Constructors when Perez finishes behind his peers again. And a pitstop behind Max in what for Perez was a clear race. 

JPNZ:

 

Great race this morning, McLaren are looking VERY strong

 

I'll say. While the commentators often say McLaren is the best car right now, they keep mentioning Max (and not because of the title points. Its clear that RBR's era is over. This race was the classic RBR race, too dominant. They are a bit faster and they wear the tyres a bit better, those two factors compound and it showed. When Max was in front he didnt ease away. When Lando was in front he eased away. Classic ways that RBR dominated. From here, every race is Lando's to lose, no question. McLaren have the dominant car. 

Ferrari were good, minor surprise. Mercedes the opposite, but ok. Perez watched from behind as usual. He had a clear race, no excuses.

Max was really good, got all the car to offer, probably a bit more.

Lawson is toyed with big time, the Horner/Marko relationship sounds really toxic. Then rumors Lawson would get Sargent's William's seat, now this morning he gets no seat, no contract and still sitting on the sidelines watching, meanwhile everyone still talking about him and doing nothing. Thato must be super frustrating.  

langi27:

 

Lawson is toyed with big time, the Horner/Marko relationship sounds really toxic. Then rumors Lawson would get Sargent's William's seat, now this morning he gets no seat, no contract and still sitting on the sidelines watching, meanwhile everyone still talking about him and doing nothing. Thato must be super frustrating.  

 

Agree

This makes sense though from F1 site

They are locked in a tight fight with McLaren for the constructors’ championship and committing to loaning out Lawson for the rest of the season simple wasn’t an option. Equally, Williams weren’t willing to take Lawson on the basis they could have to release him during the season if Red Bull required his services.

Horner said its an option depending on terms, so the loan was fine, but not the terms. It "may" give insight that Perez is on thin ice and Lawson is on thick ice to get a seat this year. To save Constructors, they really need to act now. Its like the end of a golf tournament, as the holes run out, it gets harder to be caught, they need max points both RBR cars can get to stave off McLaren

Logan Sargent has been dropped.

https://www.williamsf1.com/posts/fd43d928-0914-42ff-b9ee-394342064dc4/williams-racing-team-statement?cid=sm_twitter_td_news_link_082724

It was the right move to fire Sargeant, the only surprise is that it's taken so long to pull the trigger. The American's fundamental problem is that he never learned how much to depress the accelerator and brake pedals and at what times. He was constantly driving off the black stuff, even on the occasions when it didn't result in actual car damage.

Good luck to the Argentinean kid, a nine race gig for him to impress the paddock.

The wait continues for Lawson to know his future. We did hear Horner suggest they might have loaned Lawson out to Williams under certain conditions, not that you could put much store in things he says even before the Colapinto announcement. Horner and Marko are a good pair in that respect. One likes to talk out of the side of his mouth, one likes to try and talk a situation into being, neither appears very reliable as a source of what's actually going on.

I continue to wonder if Horner keeps looking across at his great rival Wolff with his third share in Mercedes and this is his ultimate goal. To strengthen his position now that Mateschitz is dead and get Yoovidhya to sell him a share of the F1 team. Hard to oust him for any reason if he becomes a part-owner.

Loosing Newey is going to be a blow for RB also. Verstappen also has to be eyeing up his exit plan out of RB. 

Jaxson: The Lawson loan would have had too much risk, as he could be pulled back to VCARB and redbull at any time if needed.

Yep. Interesting is that in reality thats very rare. They could have loaned him which helps him, helps RBR as extra race experience, (which can help them in a 2025 decision) and helps Williams. If they dumped Perez soon in the next few races, Lawson has had extra experience, Williams got a driver, then Lawson goes to RBR or VCARB and Williams bring in Colapinto. Literally, everyone is a winner.