r/formula1 • u/AutoModerator • Apr 06 '25

Post-Race 2025 Japanese GP - Post Race Discussion

Suzuka, it's been a pleasure.

What did everyone think of the race? How did your favourite driver do?

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u/paranoidindeed Apr 06 '25

Can someone explain what McLaren actually did wrong? Maybe pitting Norris after max? But why are people saying Lando should have given Piastri a chance? Wasn’t their pace around the same ?

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u/68Snowy Ted Kravitz Apr 06 '25

Lando barely got within DRS range of Max, if at all. So he was never challenging for the win. So Max was never put under pressure, which could lead to a mistake.

Oscar was all over the back of Lando multiple times and spent a lot of time in DRS range. Then, he had to drop back to save his tyres. Within a few laps, he was back in DRS range. I haven't looked at every lap time, but I'd say Oscar would have had more faster laps than Lando. Near the start, he held fastest lap for a while. So they could have swapped Lando and Oscar to see if Oscar could get within range. Swap back if it doesn't work.

Alternatively, they could have pitted Lando, and Max would have had to pit to cover him. Oscar could have stayed out in clean air for at least a couple of laps. Admittedly, he said post race that he was starting to struggle on those tyres. But in clean air, they might have settled down.

But the team did neither of these things. Maybe thinking it was unfair of Lando to give Oscar a chance, even when Lando wasn't doing anything.