[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by wizardofOz

Just do NOT get the tight buckle straps incorrect again..One, it's painful and two that's a man's most precious spot

As demonstrated by Hadjar

[leaveamarc]

1. Pia
2. Nor
3. Max
4. Rus
5. Lec
6. Ant
7. Tsu
8. Ham
9. Had
10. Sai

[wizardofOz]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

As demonstrated by Hadjar

That was an extraordinary 'theres always a first' moment..

[Killed by Death]

Better enjoy this year, 2026 is gonna suck

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by Killed by Death

Better enjoy this year, 2026 is gonna suck

64/36 split won't please Merc.

[HFW003]

Here’s a tv ad for cricket from the 70’s.

The spirit is still very apt!

[Killed by Death]

[G30M]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

As demonstrated by Hadjar

he's not been the same since

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by G30M

he's not been the same since

Hadjar has big Algerian b@lls but now he has a girl's voice.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

As demonstrated by Hadjar

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

Hopefully Yuki won't get tangled up again in Miami, still don't know what happened with Gasly in jedda, guessing it was a 'racing incident'.

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

Hadjar has big Algerian b@lls but now he has a girl's voice.

Probably advised to do so by MBS after his cry show with Helmut

[dumptruck]

Max
Pia
Rus

[M5Rick]

For KBD.
LEW's not doing well with a car he doesn't completely trust, so he will have to wait until Imola to see if there's some magic potions to be added like a new floor and work on the rear end.

The vid cuts short at the end.

[3798j]

The McLarens...early betting favorites for the Miami GP...

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by 3798j

The McLarens...early betting favorites for the Miami GP...

With the still bendy wings shortly to be oulawed

[3798j]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

With the still bendy wings shortly to be oulawed

When asked about the tightening of wing regulations that will be introduced at Spain..."No headache at all. There will be a small adjustment required from race nine." - - - Andrea Stella
Meanwhile at RBR headquarters, they're still scratching their collective heads...While the employees (and their real fans) are left to wonder why RBR shows no interest (or capability) in winning the Constructors Championship.

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by 3798j

When asked about the tightening of wing regulations that will be introduced at Spain..."No headache at all. There will be a small adjustment required from race nine." - - - Andrea Stella
Meanwhile at RBR headquarters, they're still scratching their collective heads...While the employees (and their real fans) are left to wonder why RBR shows no interest (or capability) in winning the Constructors Championship.

Kind of shows the non-adjustable wing balance coming in a new light with Stella's 'small adjustment' he mentions.
Question on McLaren real fans minds is (but not hearing it for some reason) why wait until race nine to enforce those rules when the papaya team could easily and quickly make up any wing they like apparently from even the next race...

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

With the still bendy wings shortly to be oulawed

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by 3798j

Meanwhile at RBR headquarters, they're still scratching their collective heads...While the employees (and their real fans) are left to wonder why RBR shows no interest (or capability) in winning the Constructors Championship.

Because, obviously, this season, WCC is a lost cause for all other teams (including RBR). Better focus on the 2026 season. The McLaren cars are dominantly towering above the rest of the field - undoubtedly the best two cars on the grid. So, between Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull Racing, it's a battle for "best of the rest". The next races are as good as a formality for McLaren to get the WCC. As RUS-ANT and HAM-LEC are stronger driver pairings than VER-TSU, RBR is on its way to end up WCC P4.

The only reason McLaren didn't score more points yet: mishaps and small mistakes by its drivers during qualies, Sprint or GPs and some questionable team orders (especially decisions to keep Norris ahead of Piastri).

The McLaren story so far in 5 GPs and 1 Sprint: 9 podium finishes out of 12 podium finish opportunities (5 times Piastri + 4 times Norris). RBR: 4 out of 12 (4 times Verstappen + 0 times Lawson and Tsunoda). Mercedes: 3 out of 12 (3 times Russell + 0 times Antonelli). Ferrari: 2 out of 12 (1 time Hamilton + 1 time Leclerc). Only 6 drivers got podium finishes this season: PIA 5, NOR 4, VER 4, RUS 3, LEC 1 and HAM 1.

And the McLaren dominance could have been even more obvious already at this stage of the 2025 season. As you recall, during the opening race in Australia both Norris (P1) and Piastri (P2) went off track during lap 44 (lost grip on the humid surface). Norris managed to recover and win the race ahead of Verstappen: 25 points in the bag. Piastri: a DNF was narrowly avoided by wiggling his way out of the grass and still managing to get P9: only 2 points in the bag instead of 18 (or even 25 if he had managed to overtake Norris in the final stages of the race). Without that mishap, Piastri would be at 115 WDC points now (or even 122 if he had gotten P1 in Australia), Norris at 89 (or 82 points if Piastri had overtaken him in Australia) and Verstappen at 84 WDC points (because the McLarens would have finished P1-P2 in Australia without the off-track sliding mishap). With a P1-P2 in Australia (highly likely if the mishap hadn't happened), McLaren would already have gathered 204 WCC points instead of 188 (93 WCC points ahead of Mercedes, already in April, instead of 77).

So, the WDC 'competition' is not as tight as it seems with 99-89-87 WDC points for PIA-NOR-VER. Very soon, it's only Piastri and Norris battling for P1 WDC and P2 WDC, alike Hamilton and Rosberg in 2016, with the rest of the field hardly standing a reasonable chance, except if McLarens DNF or seriously mess up their qualies, race strategies and pitstops. Given the car they drive, the only true competitor for Piastri is Norris and vice versa. Verstappen may rustle their balls so now and then, but cannot avoid the inevitable with his capricious RBR: P1 WDC and P2 WDC for Piastri and Norris this season + WCC for McLaren.

Yeah, there will be upgrades for Mercedes, Ferrari and RBR throughout the season. But also McLaren will keep upgrading its dominant car.

Personally, I like this situation, as it requires the rest of the field to give their level best to keep up with the McLarens and, sometimes, beat them. So there will be enough on-track action and controversy this year to avoid a McLaren snoozefest.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

The main thing I wonder is when we'll see a DNF between PIA and NOR.
Both drivers know this year is their biggest chance for both to ever get a WDC with the oncoming rulechange in 2026.
At some point this year papaya rules will become no rules. And for sure Max will be right there at that moment

LEW tore his pants and 150 employees lost their jobs (!) => https://sportnieuws.nl/boulevard/nie...2216315445018/

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

That looks like water spray coming out of the pipe nozzle mixing in with the ram air hub/brake cooling, no wonder no water was found in the tyres on inspection.. were looking in the wrong place.