Quote from: karabiber on Today at 05:56:40 AM

Quote from: Velvet78 on March 16, 2025, 09:59:19 AM

It was a really early F1 race in Melbourne for me today but I still managed to wake up. Tongue

I can say that it was absolutely worth it!

It rained by intervals and changed the direction of the race quite often. We started the season with so many incidents in the first race. 6 DNFs and 4 of them were rookies. Verstappen and Hamilton are rain masters normally but only Verstappen showed his feat. Hamilton couldn't mainly because of not being fully adapted to the car and pit strategies in the final part of the race. If Ferrari stayed with slicks longer and gambled for it, they could have finished the race with at least one car on podium...

Full results: https://www.formula1.com/en/results/2025/races/1254/australia/race-result

It's clear that we're going to see McLaren dominance on all the dry circuits this season. Verstappen is using his talent to push the pace well above the efficiency of the car, but at the cost of running out of tires early. It's a fact that Red Bull, in the seasons they have dominated, the car they have produced has reached its limits. For the last two years, the car has had nowhere to improve any further. It's really lucky for Red Bull that McLaren has just reached this level. Ferrari is still the same and there's no need to talk about it. Unless the management team and the mentality change, they will never be champions. Hamilton will soon start to get gray hair.

You're absolutely right—McLaren is showing some impressive form this season, especially on dry circuits. Their car seems to be in a great spot, and they’ve definitely stepped up their game. As for Verstappen, his talent is undeniable, but it’s true that pushing the car to its absolute limits can be a double-edged sword, especially with tire management. Red Bull has certainly had a dominant car for a while, but it seems like they may have reached a plateau in terms of further development.

Ferrari, on the other hand, just can't seem to get it together. Without a shift in mentality and management, it's hard to see them being real contenders for the title anytime soon. As for Hamilton, he's had an incredible career, but you’re right—Father Time waits for no one. The question is whether he can maintain his edge as he gets older.

It’s going to be an exciting season ahead with McLaren pushing hard, and it’ll be interesting to see if anyone can catch up!