2025 F1 General Discussion Thread

PsychoPete · 14-07-2025 09:06PM

Looks like Checo to Cadillac is a done deal, supposedly it will be announced between Spa and Hungary

Slutmonkey57b · 14-07-2025 10:00PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123635252#Comment_123635252

You're correct. I can understand disagreeing with the 1% number but there seems to be unnatural outrage at the idea that cars are more important, which just seems blindingly obvious. The way I look at it is the FW14 era scared the FIA so badly they banned half of it, and modern cars are effectively technically inferior to it as a result. Part of the reason for that is that the car could be programed to shift gear perfectly, throttle perfectly, steer perfectly, stay perfectly flat and it exposed drivers as ... not that special. I even think they ran a secret test where they did a run by wire lap.

I can't remember if it was Ross Brawn or his compadre who said that one of the key reasons they retained Button and Barrichello was because both drivers could be trusted to keep their 2.5 chassis in one piece, which couldn't be said for everyone on the grid, and was rather more important when you have no money for spares than 2 tenths of a second in raw pace.

dulpit · 15-07-2025 10:19AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123635687#Comment_123635687

The FW14B dominated 1992, but that was because of Mansell too. He finished on nearly double the points of Patrese in the other Williams and Schumacher in his first full season was only 3 points further back. Brundle (Schumacher's team mate) finished 6th. Clearly shows that a great driver (Mansell and Schumacher) can get an awful lot more out of a car, even if the car is great.

Frank Bullitt · 15-07-2025 06:19PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123636731#Comment_123636731

Apply this to Vettel, Hamilton, Verstappen as well. Great drivers in great cars, they end up there for a reason.

thefa · 15-07-2025 08:22PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123635436#Comment_123635436

I’d be glad of Checo getting a chance at a better swan song. The end of Red Bull felt a bit like Bottas at Mercedes but Perez probably got kept on a year too long due to the lack of alternatives. Some rumors of Bottas being in the mix too for Cadillac.

dulpit · 15-07-2025 08:32PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123639131#Comment_123639131

I think Cadillac would be insane not to pick both Bottas and Perez. 2 highly experienced race winners, know good cars, can get a lot out of cars. Won't be expected to win races now, and could give an awful lot of feedback and experience that a new team needs.

Seems like it'd be a waste to hire a rookie there anyway.

PsychoPete · 15-07-2025 08:50PM

The rumour seems to be it's Bottas or Schumacher for the second seat. Bottas and Checo line up would be a pretty experienced and safe pairing, I'd expect Cadillac to be fairly poor starting out and putting a rookie into that probably isn't good, Lowdon did say they were talking to around 6 drivers I think

AMKC · 15-07-2025 10:31PM

I hope Bottas gets the 2nd seat at Cadillac. Would be delighted to see him back.

Jordan 199 · 21-07-2025 12:02AM

Its race week! Spa coming up.

PsychoPete · 22-07-2025 11:17AM

Mad scenes in Zandvoort, looks to be sinkhole at the track. Hopefully they get it sorted before the race in a few weeks

Widdensushi · 22-07-2025 11:25AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123658752#Comment_123658752

Sinkhole?it looks like water ran across the track, similar damage you see in many country roads after heavy rain if drains block or are too small,, not a difficult fix.

Jordan 199 · 22-07-2025 11:40AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123658752#Comment_123658752

That ain't a sinkhole bruv, this is:

Busman Paddy Lasty · 22-07-2025 08:11PM

Zandvoort does mean sand passage or sand bar in all fairness.

Charlie-Bravo · 23-07-2025 04:49PM

A good auld bit rainwater across the track never stopped a race. Brazil '03 anyone?! :P

flazio · 23-07-2025 05:19PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123663383#Comment_123663383

Spa 4 years ago?

Charlie-Bravo · 23-07-2025 11:03PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123663462#Comment_123663462

Oh yeah…eh, ignore my last post. So, maybe they can built a bridge and get over it??!

AMKC · 24-07-2025 11:50PM

I see the love from Hulks third place at Silverstone is still going around,

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMgJ8mesr0R/?igsh=angzb2k3bjh5Z2Zy

AMKC · 27-07-2025 08:56PM

I have to agree with Max Verstappen on how waiting for the track to dry was a waste and either the cars race in the wet or they do not race in the wet and wait for the tracks to be dry.

In which case thet can abandon having wet tyres.

Mitch Connor · 28-07-2025 09:08AM

Might be different next year, with the floors of the cars throwing up less spray, with visibility being the main issue.

Slutmonkey57b · 28-07-2025 09:23AM

I think it comes down to Bianchi's accident and his family suing afterwards. That has put f1 in a position where no scope for operational error in wet conditions is allowed.

So we end up in this situation where the drivers and teams consider it safe, probably the race director considers it safe, but the race is held behind the safety car or stopped.

quokula · 28-07-2025 02:53PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123676287#Comment_123676287

That court case was specific to there being heavy machinery on track with only a yellow flag covering it which I think we can all agree with, and which no longer happens (or should happen) - it was never about the track being too wet causing Bianchi to crash.

I think there is, or at least should be a major legal difference between "we put a big JCB right in the firing line" and "we let them race on a wet track" - as a driver there's nothing you can do about the first one, but for the second one you can always drive a little bit more slowly, as drivers like Verstappen himself said. I have no doubt there is a certain amount of ass covering leading to the ultra-conservative decision making, but there must be some limit to it, it's not like driving in the dry is 100% safe either so where does the limit come?

As a lot of the issues these days are around visibility, even when the track isn't that wet and there is loads of grip, I wonder if they need to start looking at more creative ideas like some combination of IR / radar / lidar sensor that shows the positions of cars in front on the steering wheel or a visor HUD - F1 cars get very hot and generate a lot of sound so I'm sure there are ways to make them detectable through the spray better than you can visually. Even bigger and brighter rain lights would be something. And the drivers know the track layout with their eyes closed and visual cues for braking points can be picked out to the sides so visibility isn't really an issue outside of awareness of other cars.

They also tested those mudguard things a few months back and they were a failure because most of the spray comes off the diffuser rather than the tyres. So why not come up with a guard for the diffuser? It would destroy the aerodynamic efficiency, sure, but if it's a mandatory design that all cars have to bolt on in the event that a race is declared wet then it's the same for everyone. They can change a front wing in about 15 seconds, I'm sure they could come up with some mandatory mounting points that all cars need and then a device that can be added / removed in under 20 seconds at a pit stop, and make it mandatory when running wet tyres. Plenty of time to adjust the front wing in the same pitstop to keep aero balance too.

Jordan 199 · 28-07-2025 10:59PM

Carlos Sainz is having a horror season.

dulpit · 29-07-2025 09:41AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123678924#Comment_123678924

If Hamilton had stayed at Mercedes you'd arguably have 3 happier drivers now (Hamilton in the Merc, Sainz in Ferrari and Antonelli in the Williams).

Jacovs · 29-07-2025 12:51PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123679392#Comment_123679392

How/why would Antonelli be happier in the Williams? Judging by what Sainz is able to get from the Williams (16 points), Antonelli might be doing even worse if it was him in that car. But with Mercedes he is 7th in the driver standings on 63 points. Maybe not his most recent results, but for a rookie season, he can be happy enough I wouldve thought.

dulpit · 29-07-2025 12:55PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123679920#Comment_123679920

He seems to be under massive pressure, there's a lot of attention on him and it's hard to be a rookie with such attention. He'd have been better off in a lower team for 1-2 years before getting promotion to Mercedes…

Jacovs · 29-07-2025 01:00PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123679935#Comment_123679935

Thats fair enough, but if he struggled at Williams like Sainz is now, he might never have gotten a chance at the main team at all. Sink or swim. Might not be as much pressure at Williams as there is at Mercedes, but would still be pressure to perform and make your claim for a seat at the main team. But I dont think he would be happier at Williams than he is at Mercedes.

Its not like Lawson at RedBull or Colapinto at Alpine even. He has had some decent results this season.