Formula 1 MSC Cruises United States Grand Prix 2025Formula 1 

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jimlaad43
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Liquid
Having just caught up on the sprint: a racing incident but Hülkenberg's error.

Calamitous to take both McLarens out, it's 1983 when Ferrari should have won the drivers title but competitive tall poppy syndrome saw them focus on the duo rather than ensure someone is going to win it. And it's like 2021 except, ironically, Verstappen is the one having a strong second-half and rapidly closing in from nowhere.
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They're really in a bit of a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. McLaren's invested too much into Norris, but they also don't want to risk Piastri walking away from being forced to take a backseat. And now their attempts at playing the two off each other over the season are starting to backfire and it'll probably just end up leaving both drivers unhappy with their position, even if they don't end up losing the WDC to Verstappen.

Wouldn't surprise me at all if one or the other is starting some backroom discussions with other teams about getting out of their contracts after next season. If this continues into 2026, it's going to get untenable pretty quickly.
 
Piastri's form has fallen off a bit but I agree that he's still superior. Norris is too nice.

also the trophies are pretty cool

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Liquid
That's great but Piastri is the superior driver.
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Norris is still good enough that McLaren probably don't want to annoy him to the point where he goes somewhere else and starts giving them good results, and at the same time I don't think they have anyone else that could take that other seat and back up Piastri properly. It's a scenario most teams don't find themselves in and wouldn't know how to handle, aside from just intentionally holding one driver back.

I imagine both drivers' personal sponsors have quite a bit of say in the matter at this point too, which probably isn't helping things.
 
Liquid
That's great but Piastri is the superior driver.
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Eh, I still think they’re pretty even. Different strengths.

Norris is the homegrown hero and I believe he has a longer contract. Piastri is the mercenary poached from another squad. He’d be the one to leave, Mark Webber is probably already chatting up the other teams for 2027.
 
Fezzik
Eh, I still think they’re pretty even. Different strengths.

Norris is the homegrown hero and I believe he has a longer contract. Piastri is the mercenary poached from another squad. He’d be the one to leave, Mark Webber is probably already chatting up the other teams for 2027.
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I honestly think Piastri was bought in to be a number 2 to Norris, thinking that he would just be an solid number 2 and not really threaten, and he's come in and been way better than they were expecting, way more competitive, equal and occasionally better than Norris and McLaren went/have gone into meltdown with how to handle 2 number one drivers when they weren't expecting it.

And I think Piastri and Webber know this. You don't poach an Alpine reserve driver expecting to end up with a Leclerc or a Russel. They wanted a Bottas or a Perez or a Sainz (no disrespect to any of them but they were clearly number 2 drivers on ability).

Just my theory anyway on why it's been such a car crash of team orders, fairness and papaya rules.
 
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Fezzik
Eh, I still think they’re pretty even. Different strengths.
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I think the main thing holding Piastri back is lack of experience. I think he has a higher potential than Norris, but he's still a bit too "green". Give him another year or two and he'll be a phenom.
 
MSZ
I didn't expect the 2nd half of this season would turned into a carbon copy of the 2023 season. That RB is ridiculously fast.
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At least this time it's exciting for the championship, with Max eating into a points gap instead of greatly extending it.
 
MSZ
I didn't expect the 2nd half of this season would turned into a carbon copy of the 2023 season. That RB is ridiculously fast.
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They must have figured out the issues.
 
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From the highs of P3 and massive cheers yesterday, to the first DNF of the race. 😔

edit: Stroll with a nice pass into Turn 1?! 😮
 
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It is a shame Hamilton can't push more out of that Ferrari.

Edit.

But he's creeping up though.
 
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Lando stuck behind a slower car. Unable to create a pass. Seen this movie before, a few times. Hopefully this time it has a better ending for him.
 

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