[Other Sport] F1 2025

[Audax]

I presume with a VSC or full Safety Car though teams can use one of their mandatory stops? If anyone bins it at Monaco it normally takes quite some clearing up.

Yep. Advantage of doing a lap 1 or 2 stop remains though. Get 1 stop done early, run in clear air and gain time on the pack, then stop 2nd time if an SC emerges.

I reckon it's almost guaranteed well see someone towards the back try a very early 1st stop.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

Yep. Advantage of doing a lap 1 or 2 stop remains though. Get 1 stop done early, run in clear air and gain time on the pack, then stop 2nd time if an SC emerges.

I reckon it's almost guaranteed well see someone towards the back try a very early 1st stop.

I get the idea but if a load have the same thinking surely this negates the tactic? It only really potentially works if you are the front of that secondary queue or somehow manage to get clean air.

In that instance, there's argument for pitting again at the end of Lap 2.

 

[Audax]

I get the idea but if a load have the same thinking surely this negates the tactic? It only really potentially works if you are the front of that secondary queue or somehow manage to get clean air.

In that instance, there's argument for pitting again at the end of Lap 2.

Have seen it before historically at Monaco even when it's a one stop race. But I wouldn't be surprised if a bunch of drivers are given verbal instruction before the race starts along the lines of "if you're Px or worse at the end of lap 1, and no one in front of you has stopped, then stop". I expect we'll see one or two cars stop *very* early.

 

[Flounce]

Interesting video on Ferrari imo. It’s going to get tasty!

 

[Audax]

Interesting video on Ferrari imo. It’s going to get tasty!

If he can find a little more pace, I have no doubt Hamilton will become the lead driver at Ferrari.

Have to say, though, that video ... he could have said all that in two minutes. Said the same thing multiple times just with different words!

 

[Audax]

Time for another check in on my predictions? Think I may be having a bad year...

1. McLaren are strong from the first weekend. Lando Norris shows that he's learned from last season's mistakes and secures his first WDC before the last race of the season.

Bold bit - yes, nailed it. "Bonus" section ... not yet. Norris is still making Norris mistakes. Piastri looking the (marginally) stronger of the two.

2. Piastri is Norris' closest rival, but his lack of experience in a title fight sees his challenge fade as the season progresses.

Bold bit - yes, nailed it. "Bonus" section TBC, but I think Piastri has shown he's up for it.

3. Newey delivers a mid-season update package for Aston Martin that vaults them up the order. Alonso secures at least one podium in the second half of the season.

Jury out? First major update for AM and they manage a double Q3 appearance. Race not so well handled. Update officially not with any Newey input, but "insiders" indicate he had a few "over lunch" meetings with the team that produced that update package...

4. Hamilton edges Leclerc in the Ferrari battle. At least 2 wins for both drivers, but ultimately they can't match McLaren consistently enough through the whole season.

OK, so... Turns out Ferrari's pre-season pace was benefitting from them not having to worry about post-race plank wear and their actual race weekend performance is shoddy. Hamilton has struggled so far, but IMO there's some green shoots that he's starting to settle. Hamilton with a sprint win but not much else to write home about.

5. Red Bull can't match McLaren or Ferrari, even with Verstappen, and battle with Mercedes for third. Rumours of Verstappen looking for a move away from Red Bull emerge in the second half of the season, despite his contract through 2028.

Verstappen is a beast. Enough said.

6. Alpine are unable to refuse the financial package Colapinto brings, and replace Doohan before mid-season. This is despite Doohan performing strongly against Gasly.

Colapinto in. if you believe rumours, there's clear financial drivers behind it. Doohan's performance, though ... hit and miss, but did periodically show he can match Gasly, in particular by outqualifying him in Miami before being dumped.

7. Hadjar flounders at Racing Bulls and is replaced mid-season. Unable to promote a suitable Red Bull junior immediate, they offer Doohan a lifeline (as a former Red Bull junior).

. I got that one wrong! Hadjar's impressed massively so far this season.

8. Williams are the surprise package early-leaders of the midfield but are inconsistent and fade as the season progresses to finish 7th in the WCC. Sainz dominates Albon when the car is strong, delivering a two-thirds majority of their points.

Williams early season strength confirmed (they've already scored more this year than the entire '23 and '24 seasons combined). But Albon is edging it at the moment while Sainz is finding his comfort zone still.

9. Sauber continues to be the weakest team, but Bortoleto finds his feet quickly and shows Hulkenberg a clean pair of heels. Sauber become the first team to announce they are abandoning their 2025 car and shifting full focus to 2026.

Bortoleto's lacked consistency to fulfil this prediction, but he's shown he can match Hulkenberg on a good day.

10. Cadillac announce a surprise driver signing of a current top-tier driver for 2026, setting off another round of seat-shuffling. This is way out there, but Russell is out of contract after 2025 still and I have a feeling that if Antonelli excels then Mercedes might try for a Verstappen/Antonelli combo in 2026, leading to Russell jumping ship before he gets pushed. If Max goes, that opens a Red Bull seat, and they're going to want someone better than Lawson to lead the parent team.

TBC. Recent rumours suggest Perez is likely. They may try again to tempt Ricciardo back into F1. Russell's situation remains uncertain. Talk of Verstappen being lured to AM by a big money offer continues to float.

 

[The Colonel]

Verstappen is going to win this championship unless McLaren pick a number one asap.