Max Verstappen. Nobody is even close on high speed circuits. 
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2025 Formula One Season Thread
- Thread starter The-Real-Deal82
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I know there are loads of Verstappen hater in here but that Pole lap was sensational.
This Red Bull car is not the best he had compared to previous seasons but he is proving all them doubters wrong.
He Can Drive. Period.
This Red Bull car is not the best he had compared to previous seasons but he is proving all them doubters wrong.
He Can Drive. Period.
There aren’t any Max Haters in here. It’s simply an overwhelming bias towards British Drivers and Teams. That’s not a big deal. I find this forum more about the historical roles in F1. There are members with a great deal of knowledge.
It will depend on how he recovers from today. He has been struggling with the pressure from Oscar. I thought things were looking good up until the Q3 mistake. It’s always a mental challenge for Lando. Just MO.
Yea. They nailed the strategy with fueling for 2 attempts.
I simply don't think he's up to it though...
STC SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX 2025 - QUALIFYING
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:27.778 | 1:27.529 | 1:27.294 | 19 |
| 2 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 1:27.901 | 1:27.545 | 1:27.304 | 18 |
| 3 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:28.282 | 1:27.599 | 1:27.407 | 16 |
| 4 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:28.552 | 1:27.866 | 1:27.670 | 19 |
| 5 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:28.128 | 1:27.798 | 1:27.866 | 17 |
| 6 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Mercedes | 1:28.354 | 1:28.024 | 1:28.164 | 23 |
| 7 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:28.372 | 1:28.102 | 1:28.201 | 20 |
| 8 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:28.226 | 1:27.990 | 1:28.204 | 16 |
| 9 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 1:28.421 | 1:28.025 | 1:28.367 | 22 |
| 10 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 1:27.805 | 1:27.481 | DNF | 11 |
| 11 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 1:28.279 | 1:28.109 | 14 | |
| 12 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:28.561 | 1:28.191 | 11 | |
| 13 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:28.548 | 1:28.303 | 14 | |
| 14 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:28.571 | 1:28.418 | 12 | |
| 15 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari | 1:28.536 | 1:28.648 | 15 | |
| 16 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:28.645 | 9 | ||
| 17 | 7 | Jack Doohan | Alpine Renault | 1:28.739 | 9 | ||
| 18 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:28.782 | 8 | ||
| 19 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas Ferrari | 1:29.092 | 9 | ||
| 20 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:29.462 | 8 |
And now that Lando has repairs to do will he start from 20th or the pit lane?
He's his own banana sometimes...Looks like Lando just found one...
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I can’t see Lando winning the title tbh. I think mentally Oscar and Max both have an advantage over him.
He is too emotional and not clinical enough. When things are going his way it is fine. When they are not he struggles to get going again.
Not a fan of Max but I’ve never doubted his ability. He is maximising the opportunities with a car that shouldn’t be in the top six.
He is too emotional and not clinical enough. When things are going his way it is fine. When they are not he struggles to get going again.
Not a fan of Max but I’ve never doubted his ability. He is maximising the opportunities with a car that shouldn’t be in the top six.
Ok, Driver 1 in the PawPaws, not Banana.. It's Pies Pastry... Some bloke from the land of roo... Proven Number 1 in the team.. Lando is mos def not #1.. Maybe feeling like he should have a career driving #2's aka porta-loo's from here to there..
oh dear driver of car 44, he was so happy pre season, new team, new duds, new new, and now a car only fit for being an artificial reef..
oh dear driver of car 44, he was so happy pre season, new team, new duds, new new, and now a car only fit for being an artificial reef..
PawPaws, Bananas, Pies, Pastries? It’s not easy staying on my Low Carb Diet with your posts.
The Race and Peter Windsor had some post-qualifying insights I found interesting.
The tl;dr from Peter is that George and Lando have a driving style where they commit to a specific line into a corner and if it does not work, they just either try and force it or hold on and hope for the best. Max, on the other hand, is able to actively adjust his line through the corner to maximize his performance. Oscar appears to be somewhere in between.
The tl;dr from Peter is that George and Lando have a driving style where they commit to a specific line into a corner and if it does not work, they just either try and force it or hold on and hope for the best. Max, on the other hand, is able to actively adjust his line through the corner to maximize his performance. Oscar appears to be somewhere in between.
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Yup. If you check out the new Ghost Car analysis on F1 between Max and Oscar it’s easy to see…..
Let me guess before the driver put it in the hedge??? I guess Lando wishes he had a ghost car..
I really like that feature and was looking forward to the lap between Max and Oscar. You can see just how much faster Max and the RB21 are through Sector One and while Oscar claws it back in Sector Two and moves ahead in Sector Three, Max again can just use the RB21's speed in the final corner to launch himself down the straight and take the pole.
Lando just needs to stop letting people live in his head rent free. No Ghosts.
Yup. It really shows Max’s braking skills as well. 1/100 here, 1/100 there…. It adds up…….
Dull race for the most part, but I am pleased with how the Top 10 worked out.
I suspect that the donkey kart number 44 will not be seen again, it will be found resting in the Med...Ham must really wonder what he did in a previous life..
Minimum again was arrogant, tried to justify and well maybe should have given back the place, but Minimum would rather eat Toto's shoe than give back the place!!!
Minimum again was arrogant, tried to justify and well maybe should have given back the place, but Minimum would rather eat Toto's shoe than give back the place!!!
P1 if he gives the place back. Poor decision by the team.
I think Oscar drove well. He didn’t have that much (if any) car advantage over Max. But he made it count.
He launched it at the start causing Max to cut the corner to get ahead. A calculated risk. If there was no penalty it would have paid off.
Lando did well. He maximised his points after Saturday’s crash.
Mercedes just didn’t have the car at this track, but two solid drives.
Ferrari and Le Clerc will be happy with his podium, but if Lando started higher up he would have been fourth again.
Two solid performances from Williams.
Alison proving the reaction time is still there despite being over 40. The way he avoided being hit was miraculous.
Remember Bortoleto, always check your mirrors before the manoeuvre!
He launched it at the start causing Max to cut the corner to get ahead. A calculated risk. If there was no penalty it would have paid off.
Lando did well. He maximised his points after Saturday’s crash.
Mercedes just didn’t have the car at this track, but two solid drives.
Ferrari and Le Clerc will be happy with his podium, but if Lando started higher up he would have been fourth again.
Two solid performances from Williams.
Alison proving the reaction time is still there despite being over 40. The way he avoided being hit was miraculous.
Remember Bortoleto, always check your mirrors before the manoeuvre!