Lando & McLaren Are NOT Ready For A Title Fight.

McLaren could've - should've won in Silverstone this weekend. They've probably on average had the fastest car in the last 6 races, yet won zero. Are they really ready for a title fight, because I'm not so sure.
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#TommoF1

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Who do you think will perform better in 2025 - Lando, or Oscar?

[@TommoMcCluskey]

LANDO

[@TommoMcCluskey]

OSCAR

[@michaelunderwood2283]

Oscar I think once he gets the experience but McLaren need to remember they have two drivers or risk losing him

[@johnm8224]

Oscar.

[@johnmclaren3908]

@@michaelunderwood2283Stella isn’t stupid he’ll know who the better driver will be.

[@opiejaye]

That exchange between Lando and Will gave me flashbacks to Sochi, way too wishy-washy and vague. "What do you think?". Tom's message to Oscar was exactly what Lando needed to hear too, a clear and concise message that informs the driver what the best option is.

[@NicotineRosberg]

Lando isn't intelligent enough as well. Talent can only carry you so far. His IQ is pretty low & as such he doesn't have that depth within him to make those decisions on the fly. For example, driver such as Sainz, Vettel, Hamilton etc. Those guys can make their on the strategy while driving flat out. It takes brain power aka intelligence to do that. Lando has the talent but no brains.

[@bill4665]

Exactly. You can't be asking a driver (who is already under pressure from a lap-late stop) what the best strategy is. You have team members with accurate simulation systems and a weekends worth of data to tell you whether you should go on your worst operating tyre, or your best one. The worst part for me was the phrasing. "Cover off Lewis with softs, or Max with Mediums". You can interperet that two different ways: 1. Do you wanna fight for 1st with softs, or 2nd with mediums? 2. Would you rather pick a fast tyre or a slow tyre? You're either asking the driver to give up the win with 12 laps to go, or asking a question biased towards the soft tyres that make them sound kore enticing, when clearly you don't know which option is better. Too much worry. They just need to take these two weeks, rebuild some confidence and start being committed. None of this "Hey _______, we could cover off P2, or go for P1 but we need to pick now" nonsense. Just "We are going for P1 so we're going to do this strategy option"

[@uvannaveen8237]

I've been very skeptical about Mclaren's strategy and pitwall team since 2021. I've always doubted their pitwall team but this race has basically solidified the fact that their pitwall isn't up to standards. I think Lando should either change his race engineer, or something needs to change in the pitwall.

[@bill4665]

@@uvannaveen8237 His race engineer is fine, they get on amazingly and Lando wouldn't be driving to that standard if he was being fed the wrong info 24/7. I think it's more about just the strategists there. They have some worldies now and again, but most of the time they seem to fall a bit flat.

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Indecisive when decisiveness is needed.

[@JeremyDepain-pk8wg]

Any race from McLaren feels like a freestyle

[@_Mandolorian]

they have been like that since the 2010s. Probably why hamilton left

[@NicotineRosberg]

Lando is also not intelligent enough to make good strategy calls on his own. He may have the talent but he lacks the brains. Drivers such as Sainz & Vettel for example. Superb IQ. Can literally do their own strategy while driving flat out. It takes brain power to do that

[@TommoMcCluskey]

They've gotta remember how to win again.

[@andrewfromm6565]

​@@TommoMcCluskey I think the problem was lando stayed out one lap too long, and then told Will that "it's softs, it's slicks" which made his team indecisive. Does lando want softs instead? Let's let him decide. Lando was just saying he needs slick tires. Then his team asks him to confirm and he said sure, softs, it's what Lewis is doing. Fast tire. The team has more data about tire performance than lando in the moment, adrenaline pumping.

[@seamussynnott921]

​@@NicotineRosbergI wouldn't necessarily say that Lando lacks the intelligence to make the right tyre strategy calls but I do think he's very much in his own head right now and putting way too much pressure on himself to win.

[@aslamnurfikri7640]

That's what made Red Bull so great. They can make important decisions quickly and decisively. To beat them you not only need better car, you need better *everything*

[@LB-vc2dm]

RB lucky, they have Hannah Schmitz. She is a legend

[@andreasthiemke9520]

@@LB-vc2dm which means they aren't lucky, they have people who are good at their job lol

[@Redlingstein]

Exactly

[@Redlingstein]

@@LB-vc2dmno it’s a FULL STRATEGY TEAM, together with GP and Max that decide…not Hannah, she is only 1 person of the big strategy team…

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Easy to take for granted when Max is hoovering up wins week in week out.

[@ThaCampinDutchman]

Currently, Oscar radiates more WDC vibes than Lando does, he's methodical and consistent like Max. As soon as he gets onto his tire management issues I think he'll have the measure over Lando. Max and RB are currently showing what needs to be done to become WDC. Even with a car deficit you need to be there to capitalise and make the right calls and remain consistent. Oscar and his garage are matching that trajectory. Lando and his garage are not.

[@williamspencer1978]

I'm not sure what it is, but I feel like Lando doesn't have the same "killer instinct" that WDCs usually have. You can even tell from drivers early in their careers like Vettel, Hamilton, Alonso, Raikkonen, Verstappen, Schumacher. Before any of them were winning championships, you could see from very early on that they had the mentality for it. Of the new crop of drivers, I feel like Piastri, Russell, and Charles (kind of) have it. I feel like Charles mentality has taken a step back these past two years and he might not ever get it back. Lando just doesn't exude that instinct for me.

[@sheeshman9713]

You hit the nail on the head mate

[@xanzpatrie]

Piastri is also only in his second year. So much room for growth. I have the same impression, the kid is looking more and more like a WDC candidate in the near future.

[@larssonk22]

Agreed, it wasn't too long ago a lot of people were thinking Oscar would get a GP win before Lando.

[@Duval-In-The-Wall]

If you look at the actual lap times, you’ll see Lando is one of the most consistent drivers on the grid. He’s able to hammer out stints well above the level that Piastri is able to McLaren don’t think they are the clear frontrunner, they have the data of their strengths/weaknesses People see Max getting hunted down and assume Norris is faster, but how was the Red Bull able to pull 5-6 seconds in the first place? McLaren still have more development to come according to their plan

[@selder_7]

Piastri is circling the drain on getting that first win, so close but something always just keeping it out of reach

[@ark_sia8334]

because of McLaren itself I guess?

[@Zack_F1]

He has got the pace. One of my favorite drivers after following his professionalism in f2.

[@charleswilfred6463]

He should've won the Silverstone GP but McLaren fucked him over big time.

[@Redlingstein]

Lol he still eats his tyres, he qualifies behind Lando so doesn’t get preferred strategy… Its his own Quali and also still his race pace in the latter part of each stint that makes him #2 driver… it’s that simple.

[@Redlingstein]

@@charleswilfred6463if his mum had balls she would be his dad…. Nobody should anything…. Stop fantasizing. If he wants to win …. Then outqualify your teammate first!!!! THEN you get the preferred strategy…. Its up to Piastri himself….

[@nickmagers1]

oscar so level headed and quietly confident. starting to sense he will be more success than lando lando's headspace very cloudy after this, going to be hard to keep the intrusive thought out of the car. hope he can bounce back better!

[@johnmclaren3908]

They’ve overachieved with the car development. The plan was a title fight next year and they’ve been caught out with it happening this season.

[@Lastname6955]

That is a positive if they expect more development over the next 6 months though. Once they improve their management they could be unstoppable

[@SW-8228]

They don’t know what they are doing half the time though, they haven’t been in that championship fight since the 2010s, Ferrari’s last proper title fight was 2018 Mercedes was 2021 And red bull obviously these last few years.

[@jj4485-o5o]

Theres no title fight in sight. Should have won the last 4 races in a row, Mckindergarden apparently had other plans.

[@jj4485-o5o]

​@@Lastname6955they should win all the time now and they arent doing it, nothing positive about that

[@Lastname6955]

@@jj4485-o5o I'm not defending their recent blunders, just saying that it gives them time to learn ahead of 2025

[@DelaneySeamus]

The only silver lining I can think of is that from what i can assume, fixing issues like strategy and communication between engineers and drivers is an easier and quicker problem to fix than something like a slow car, high tire deg or a weak driver pairing.

[@AverageJoeInOz]

Elvis asked 'do McLaren need to learn how to win again?' just after Imola. F1 is not easy, winning in F1 is harder, winning consistently in F1 is almost impossible and is why I suppose we hold those who dominate is such high regard.

[@ninja8gazelo]

I think that the main problem with McLaren is that they leave too many decisions up to the drives. As much as I like Lando, he simply isn't good at making quick strategy decisions. Thats what the team is there for, just tell him what to do so he can focus on driving. Look at Red Bull, when they think its time to box they simply say "Box, box" and Max complies, while in McLaren they would be having a 2 min conversation brainstorming what should they do

[@Redlingstein]

Exactly

[@ishqiahmed4315]

thats what ive been saying, reason why RB and mercedes won so much is because it wasnt just the fact they had great drivers, the team were able to reign them in and make decisions even if they didnt agree. Mclaren knew they kept mediums for this exact scenario so idk what they thought but putting the softs was not the right call

[@crazycjk]

Nice job integrating both team radios into the video, really makes it clearer. Feel especially bad for Oscar, but Lando should definitely have finished 2nd at worst. Max's reaction in the cooldown room when he learns that Lando has a fresh set of Mediums says it all.

[@Ho-Lee-Chit_Fu-Kin-Fast]

The car is ready, the drivers are ready. The strategy people however......

[@filmgeschichte.]

Norris aint ready

[@caydenph2741]

​@@filmgeschichte. He is more than ready.

[@nicestoriesnottherealstori3006]

Okay what happened after Hungary just proved this title.

[@ericrickert3045]

I see Lando as a craftsman honing his skill set, and now he is near the top and figuring out that part.

[@tuna5618]

Lando has speed but he doesn't have the mentality of a champion the same way max clearly does. Mclaren and lando are busy having a tea party over the radio discussing tires meanwhile red bull and max just get the right thing done.

[@Eismagier]

@@tuna5618 nah i think its new for mclaren to win, and fight, they were iin the midfield for 14 years, while rb merc and ferrari had title fights not too long ago

[@TomC8042]

@@tuna5618 He absolutely 1000% has the mentality mate, that isn't in doubt int he slightest.

[@brandonhollis9882]

@@tuna5618and you’re able to judge the mentality of a champion based on what?

[@9BigD6]

He's done 116 races, he's in the top 8% of all time F1 grand prix entered. That's not someone learning their skills, that's a very very experienced fornula 1 driver.

[@TStizzle19]

I think Lando's race engineer needs to be more concise on the radio, giving a driver too much information while driving at 300kmh is just as bad as not enough imo

[@jackelofnar]

Oscar needs to stand up to McLaren who are constantly screwing him over for lando and look what happens

[@Redlingstein]

Lando qualified AHEAD OF HIM….. simple. If he wants preferred strategy…he needs to beat Lando in Quali and show in race to be faster continuesly …. He doesn’t. His tyre deg is bigger than Lando’s and he qualifies behind Lando…. So he has nothing TO say in the team.

[@jackelofnar]

@Redlingstein McLaren screwed up Oscars final run putting him behind Sainz plus the decision not to double stack Oscar cost him the race win.

[@ettrickable5988]

@@Redlingstein Oscar has qualified ahead multiple times and Lando has been both fairly and often unfairly Favoured. Oscar was faster on race day as Lando has been multiple times prior, Oscar should have been favoured at silverstone

[@charliegath6125]

@@ettrickable5988Multiple times is a massive stretch. He's losing the h2h 3-9 and was really only shafted in Silverstone. He'd get priority more often if he was actually faster more often. He's not

[@ettrickable5988]

@@charliegath6125not just talking about this year, so far the difference is 10 - 24 in favour of Lando, if you think 10 times in his second year doesn't at least warrant 'multiple times' you are absolutely waffling, plus the entire point of my comment was to point out that saying Lando out qualified him is not a good point as they should be (and have for Lando's sake) focusing on the pace on race day and they didn't at Silverstone where oscar was quicker.

[@Kira-29]

Great video as always! Especially the editing with the team radios was a nice touch :) Thank you so much Tommo! I agree with all of your thoughts in this one. Oscar is incredibely strong on the mental side. It is just so much fun for me to be a fan of him, because he always has a very positive and calm mindset.

[@legvalmont]

The greats have their catch phrases. Murray used to say "in F1 anything can happen". Crofty says "it's lights out and away we go". Tommo says "my name is Tommo, let's talk about it" and I love it.

[@jamwaffles]

Great vid Tommo! The intro was quite simple but very pleasing to watch. Keep up the good quality :)

[@witteverheul]

Tommo has been on the yt grind. And i'm all here for it🎉

[@adrian3355w]

I like his chilled style, with the 'same' tune playing in the background.. Can work while listening to him lol

[@WinX_io]

People just need to look at max as the perfect example of having a high race IQ. Like Adrian Newey said, he'd arrive on track and take a leadership role at the team just as much as he does the driver. He has such an understand of the car, he's able to make critical decisions on the spot during a race because he knows what he needs and why he needs it. You'll rarely ever see him ask about what tires he needs, instead he tells them what he wants. Lando is always needing the team to verify his assumptions or outright ask them what to do next... even lewis does the same a lot of the time and that's why he's had so many bad races because of strategy. Max made so many of the calls that made the difference for him in the race, I would suggest people listening to the radios post race and you'll see the difference amongst drivers.

[@davronbekibrokhimov33]

Max made the call for interns at perfect time and others followed him. If red bull were competitive like the rest of the front cars he would have been fighting for the p1 even during the rainy part of the race. Now imagine if he hadn’t lost time during the rain, he would have easily challenged for the won😊

[@tuna5618]

@@davronbekibrokhimov33 That's all true. Max may have even won without his quali mistake.

[@michaelcobbin]

Braham, Prost, Senna, Schumacher, and Lewis all have this same capability; this is why they are multiple WDC champions. Braham was the standout exception in that he won a WDC in a car he built and managed the team simultaneously.

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Max has that "ego" I mention in regards to what Lando is lacking IMO. Max commands respect within the team, intimidates his fellow drivers, and walks the line almost perfectly. A 4x WDC, and well earned.

[@LorenzoCorrado19]

So why are there the strategists? They exist for a reason. Why should they ask the driver about the tyres they think are better when the driver has to think to a million different things? The strategists and the engineers should be doing their job Just like the driver does.

[@lucastavares81]

Learning is part of the process. Losing and making mistakes will only make them stronger. To win, you first have to fail and learn.

[@jj4485-o5o]

Learning? Norris has been in f1 since 2019. Was there no time to learn? Max won his first race in his second season already.

[@productproducer664]

@@jj4485-o5o But you have to take into account, drivers like Max or Lewis who succeed so early in their career are definitely not the norm. Even with them, they both still had many many mistakes that took years to adress. 5 years is what took max to actually be a top notch driver

[@McLfansSerbia]

They should have learned more from Russia in 2021. But they didn't.

[@jj4485-o5o]

​@@productproducer664yeah you are definetly right about that. Max and Lewis are not the norm, they are legendary drivers. And after 5 years Max was a top notch driver unlike Norris.

[@lsnqkcnqkpnkpsnqpjcbpq]

@@jj4485-o5olets not forget that there was a point in time where max used to DNF like every five races lol. it also took time for max to become what he is today. Lewis is just in a different league tbf. On top of that, we can at least shout out Lando for having so few DNFs in his career despite being here for a while already. Yes, he’s making a lot of mistakes, but he hasn’t had the fastest car up until this year, and its probably a different feeling entirely when youre suddenly put in a much faster car than what youve normally driven. red bull and mercedes were always competitive, mclaren werent until this year. Give Lando and his team time to find that synchronicity they need to win races consecutively.

[@Storm_CW]

Lando needs to improve on towing the line between being aware and accepting of his contributions that impact the race negatively, and being quite matter of factly and ultimately undeterred mentally about them. "Yeah it was a great race, P3 and P4 is a wonderful result but of course, a win was on and operationally both in and out of the car we didn't deliver it to the boys back home. That needs to improve, but it will."

[@mauricioespejo6125]

Leclerc vs sainz is the best example of a smart driver vs talent. Leclerc is obviously more talented in raw speed. Sainz always argues and reasons with his team strategy. Leclerc just takes it.

[@FlickTheBrick]

That’s why I prefer Sainz over Leclerc. Sainz sadly isn’t WDC material, but he’s also much more than a second team driver. He’s levelheaded and consistent. I fully expect him to overtake Leclerc on points by the end of season at this point.

[@mikasr.5]

@@FlickTheBrickhe won’t mate

[@videogamevalley7523]

It’s wild I just watched the Hungarian GP and this video showed up first in my feed.

[@d15c0m]

While he's not quite at Norris' level yet, Piastri seems to have all the makings of a champion, especially the mentality. I can see Webber pushing for a move if McLaren keep messing him around. Not double stacking was a dreadful pit wall decision, there was so little to gain.

[@Redlingstein]

😂 move to where 😂 there is nowhere. Piastri only has McLaren. He needs to learn tyre management first and then he needs to learn how to outqualify his teammate each session…. And then it depends on the other teams and the cars of the 2026 regs if he might get a shot after 2026 at WC…..

[@RockSolitude]

I really hope that Webber impresses into him that he needs to be a lot more assertive in the team going forward. He needs some of that Schumacher, Alonso, Vettel and Carlos Sainz Tour de Force attitude and wiley old fox-like mentality if the team is playing politics or favourites or not treating him how he should be treated. Webber experienced it first hand. Being passive in a team playing favourites and politics can kill a career.

[@JC-lu4se]

@@Redlingstein Give it a rest mate.

[@Nadia-nm2uw]

@@Redlingstein lol i don’t know why you feel the need to respond this harshly to every single comment talking positively about oscar. yes obviously he still has a lot of room to improve, particularly on tire deg, but there’s no denying he’s doing a great job for his second year, especially considering how good a driver lando is. lando undoubtedly has the measure on oscar in quali and race pace, but the lineup is solid. the point tommo’s making is also true: there are aspects of the way oscar and tom communicate that lando and will could potentially learn from.

[@mingin001]

McLaren sent Oscar out late for Q3 then didn't bring him in a lap before Lando or double stack. Done Oscar dirty!!!

[@extremegrieferbible]

McLaren - the only team on the grid that can achieve a 1-2 and still look like the biggest clownshow on the entire grid! Absolute embarrassment in Hungary!

[@jckblck]

Long time McL fanboy here, the failure to double stack and then use the spare set of mediums was super frustrating, Are we ready for a title fight? No. Are we in one? Maybe. Do we need to be more conservative and decisive, yes. Piastri in the lap before or double stack is loads less lost than the risk of another lap of slicks on a raining track, and yes the medium maybe slower than the soft, but they will also tolerate more quali style push laps than a soft, so why not have that in our pocket? Baffling calls, we threw away a win here.

[@Redlingstein]

No Lando is not in a title fight with 12 races done and 12 to go and almost 90 points gap to Max….

[@jaywright9924]

@@Redlingstein It's not mathematically impossible for Lando to win the WDC although he would have to basically win all the remaining races and hope for Max to be P3 a couple of times. More likely is the WCC given that McLaren has been pretty consistently outscoring Red Bull every weekend lately. This is where Red Bull will really start to feel the impact of Checo being so far off the front and why I suspect he will be replaced in a few races time

[@honeyisaac]

Oscar is the future. oscar has so much less experience than lando but he knew Medium is the right tyre

[@BenS44]

Oscar is maturing a lot quicker than Lando despite the age and experience deficit, the outright pace remains in Lando's hands right now but even that margin is shrinking. The McLaren wars could be upon us shortly.

[@Surfsaus]

McLaren should have double stacked but if they didnt want too they should have brought oscar or lando in a lap earlier and pitted the other on the lap they pitted lando. I think too often mclaren are worried about lando and oscar fighting on track and having a worsened relationship. Oscar has been mismanaged at times this year which has cost the team at least 30 to 40 points imo. Just let oscar and lando race. As long as its respectful there is no problem. Also let the drivers call when they want to come in and what tyre they want, if they get it wrong its on them. I still dont understand how mclaren could get it so wrong leaving oscar out. In time oscar will just break team orders and do what needs to be done and come in when he needs too. If the team is making bad calls dont listen to them. He also needs to tell mclaren that if they continue to screw him over he won't be resigning with them. They will soon stop hobbling him especially when he's more likely to win a WDC.

[@Redlingstein]

The driver in front ALWAYS gets preferred strategy. If Piastri wants that…then he should outqualify Lando…… he doesnt

[@larssonk22]

The pudits knew mediums were best too. When he pulled into the pit and they had the softs ready for him my heart sank!

[@exoria1098]

And this is why I think Piastri will become a world champion

[@8tonystark8]

8:40 "And a nice slick tyre for me. Any compound is fine."

[@dinocharlie1]

I think the issue for Lando not getting the fact he was relying on the team across was wording. He said "or do you the medium, I don't mind" when other top drivers communicate more clearly. I remember Alonso in Monaco last year straight up said something along the lines of "I don't know what do you think" to his team, not just saying he isn't sure, but emphasizing he wants their input from behind the wall

[@samoht-k2g]

I think 2025 is when we should judge Lando and McLaren’s ability to win at the front and fight for a championship. Lando and McLaren have no experience at the front so the rest of this season will be pivotal for them and Oscar to gain the experience. Remember Max had 2016-2020 yo learn at the front without the pressure of being in a title fight. I would say it is similar to Leclerc and Ferrari at the start of 2022 with I think will be a positive in the long run for them if they can produce a competitive car next year.

[@samoht-k2g]

This also applies to George. The only driver I can think of as being faultless at the front in their first year with a race winning car is Lewis and potentially Alonso, but in not old enough to know that

[@samoht-k2g]

By the way this is clear across all sports. In the NBA no team ever wins their first year being competitive (ie making the playoffs).

[@wyzkun]

yeah but lando is not max. lando need competitive car to be able to win his first GP. max won here and there in the middle of merc domination. and its not like they gonna encounter the same problem every time. it could be anything if they are still indecisive and they need to fail on every possible scenario before able to make the right call, it doesn't look very positive. furthermore there is no guarantee their car could compete in 2025 if suddenly red bull or merc back to their top form.

[@stefanstenroos6344]

Both Red Bull and Mercedes have had their winning ways in the recent past, even the present. They know what to do and when. McLaren hasn't been at the front for years. They simply don't have the muscle memory. It's like skipping the gym for a year and coming back. You're just not gonna bench the same weight you did before.

[@salim_abid_]

10:10 Russia 2021 Lando had a similar issue, They didn't tell him to box they asked what he thought of the Inters

[@TheMissiIe]

Oscar's the only one in McLaren that seems mature enough to compete with Max/RB

[@notthefia9154]

I feel like part of the problem is Lando, and before the fangirls attack me, there’s been many times where Joseph has come over the radio and asked a question, and in response has had his head bitten off by Norris with some pretty aggressive comments, I get that emotions and temper runs high when under pressure like that and when your heart rate is running that high, but a lot of the time it’s resorted in his engineer almost being hesitant to say too much or say what actually needs to be said in fear of Lando getting aggy or snappy. I also think McLaren as a whole aren’t really that confident within their own ability, or don’t back themselves when someone does something completely different to what they planned on doing and just go into complete meltdown mode

[@ishqiahmed4315]

i think its also a case of his engineer needs to be able to respond to those aggressive comments, like we have seen w max and GP and whenever max snaps, GP snaps back and puts max back in line, if lando is going to behave as such he needs someone who can react to it well, otherwise he will have to change how he reacts

[@TheWildSlayer]

You're right, I think McLaren's strategy team needs to be more on it, from what I can tell, Red Bull and Mercedes seems to calculate every optimal tyre, every perfect pit time on every sector of the track the drivers are on, (in case of safety car/VSC) every lap, gunning for a win. Mercedes have learned from their mistakes doing this, an example being the infamous "Stay out! In in in in in in in!". If McLaren sharpens this, I believe they will get the chances to win even when the conditions aren't all dry and sunshine.

[@redwine.99]

Mclaren absolutely suffered from proper decision making in Silverstone. They saw how staying out late in Montréal hurt their race, and they did the same thing in Silverstone. They saw how the harder compounds (Mediums and Hards) were gripping better and going the distance, yet Lando said softs and pitwall did not suggest mediums were better. It seems like they're making mistakes, but don't learn from it

[@DemianAndersson]

Its difficult. If their stratergy would have been on point but their car preformence wasnt nobody would talk as much about it. It just shows u how difficult it is to be a winning team. So much must fall in place not only the car pace

[@KayneWalshNZ]

I think jenson button said it well that lando is being "publicly" too hard on himself. Yeah it sucks but you punish yourself by chopping a finger off?! F1 and sport as a whole can be a mental battle aswell as physical.

[@aslamnurfikri7640]

Lando's attitude can be interpreted as weakness, and other drivers can exploit that especially ruthless drivers like Max, Lewis, and Leclerc

[@Gopher31]

I think Piastri is eventually going to be the top driver. In such a short time he’s looking very complete and seems to have fixed his tyre deg issue.

[@valiantthor_]

I think he already is the top driver and they're just prioritising Norris

[@tombardsley3081]

@@valiantthor_except that’s not true. Lando has been better than Oscar

[@tigerwarriors182]

@@tombardsley3081yea true but i agree with the initial comment. piastri with a year and a half of f1 experience is getting dangerously close to lando with more than 5 years driving now. its inevitable that piastri will grow and eventually be better than lando at the trajectory hes going

[@tombardsley3081]

@@tigerwarriors182 only if he sorts his tyre wear issues out. Always overcooks the tyres when under pressure

[@valiantthor_]

@@tombardsley3081 The results don't always show what's really going on, You can see by the way they operate who has the most potential.

[@AudyBharksuwana]

I think taking accountability as Lando has been isn’t particularly showing weakness, in fact I think it could be his strength. However I believe there are ways of being accountable but still show that you have the confidence that they’ll definitely be improving. It was very frustrating seeing Softs going on Lando’s car. They were flying on the Mediums. McLaren should’ve told Oscar to drop back to double stack. Sometimes people forget about just how good RedBull and Mercedes are during pit stops, race strategy and race management. RedBull mechanics do so much practice, and they’re pretty much all of them are world class athletes

[@purpleguy3000]

You can see the same issues with Mclaren being what happened at Ferrari. If a driver can't trust a team these mistakes will happen, especially with drivers as emotional as Norris and Leclerc where their performance clearly suffers when the emotions take over. Drivers can't be robots and engineers make mistakes, but that communication deficit will kill Mclaren's championship hopes.

[@aslamnurfikri7640]

Like in 2020 Ferrari basically went with the driver in front got the best strategy so Leclerc and Seb ended up fighting among themselves

[@cyancut21]

Let‘s face it…the driver‘s title fight this year was already over when McLaren became serious contenders because Verstappen was already 52 points ahead after China and he knows how to manage that gap to become champion again with his incredible consistency across the season But even looking at just Miami to now, Verstappen has outscored Norris by 32 points and that trend doesn’t look like it will be changing over the next few races, if they can’t manage to outscore the guy to beat with an equal (and in a lot of instances slightly better) car, it will be very hard to win a championship like that

[@sierra9565]

Lando and McLaren ended up in a championship winning car after a long time at the back of the pack…it’s gonna take a bit for them to adjust I think

[@gorkemb4613]

l dont think thats an excuse. They're waiting this car for a long time. One way or another driver should be ready for this position. This chance may never come back again. For example, Max or in his first race become second place Hamilton. Frankly, if you have a champion fabric, you can become one. Oscar does a much better job in this regard. l guess they should gave him more chance or equal tactics.

[@sierra9565]

@@gorkemb4613 lando has been consistently in the podium ever since he got the fast car tho? If he doesn’t pick things this next half of the season…I’ll agree.

[@clintonmaher6930]

Lando is mentally weak - last 2 races there's been zero tyre management issues for Oscar. Watch out Norris.

[@gothicusmaximus5697]

I think its just weird panic. They knew the Meds were better but when the saw Hamilton take softs they thought, oh sh*t he's gonna overtake, rather than thinking, oh the softs will fall off at this track over 15 laps. They actually told Lando, its ok we have Meds they dont, and then put him on softs.

[@DaveCompton5150]

Not sure if indecisive is the right word. They don't seem to have clarity as who should make a decision. They F-ed up the Russian GP a few years back when the pit didn't call Lando in when it started raining.....the pit crew has radar, Lando doesn't. Pit crew should have also made the tire choice. They know the pace of the other cars, and which tires they selected. The person/team with the best information has to make decisions.

[@aslamnurfikri7640]

That's called indecisive. If Lando had the pace to win then McLaren should give him the best strategy for the win regardless of what Max got. The team should have done the brunt work because they have more data. In comparison Max didn't need to decide what tyres to use, only when he need to pit and the team will be ready for him

[@Minecraftfreaks5]

I think there are still not used to the fact, that they fight for wins now. Chosing Tyres to fight for first and not just "cover Hamilton". The decisiveness is missing at the moment!

[@CaptainHoratioPugwash]

I can't help but feel that some of the drivers, engineers and strategists could benefit from studying how pilots and air traffic controllers communicate during emergencies. They can be changeable, high stress, high workload situations where clear concise communication and rapid decision making are very important. The entire system is setup deliberately to support this.

[@boucher4.jp3g]

unfortunately i think this year is turning into a “training year” for mclaren

[@saadalansari8465]

I really like the pink video clips! Smart Tommo!

[@theuniversaldisneyian2021]

Not only does McLaren have to be more decisive, they also need to be a lot more concise. Sure Max made the right choice of both when to pit and what tyres to take, but look how the options were presented to him: GP: Do you want to stay out for another lap? Max: Yes. GP: Do you want the hards or the softs? Max: The hards. Short and to the point. No excess information. No wishy-washy, any slicks, maybe the softs, maybe the mediums.

[@eckandi]

Insightful video! Thank you

[@SamuelSantos_]

0:55 When that music comes on you're in for a fucking treat

[@KJ28554]

Simply put They have become the 2022 Ferrari - Both have the (arguably) fastest car in the first half of the season - Both have 2 incredible drivers - Both are terrible at strategy - Charles can be seen as Lando in the way that he has had bad luck but also threw away good points by himself And in the end, they are new to being in a winning position and don’t have the experience to handle it unlike merc and red bull

[@AdvaitChatterji]

I still find it funny that in 2022 Ferrari began the season with amazing on-track battles between Charles and Max, a 1-2 finish in the opening race, a bunch of podiums and threw it all away

[@joshuafleckenstein351]

Seeing Lando so down beat after the race was justified, but kind of showed that his mentality is not at a champion’s level. It’s one thing to be critical of oneself for the sake of self improvement, but his attitude bordered self deprecation. I feel that Lando is going to continue to be complacent in decision making because he’s going to worried he’ll make the wrong decision (Like silverstone and Sochi). Doesn’t seem like an attitude for improvement, just for self destructive behavior. Again, not a WDC mentality.

[@Marcus-ll2bt]

They’re not quite there, its very Kimi 2003-2006 at McClaren. Close but no cigar.

[@blueey2938]

Compare what happened in austria to what happened between max and carlos, carlos pushed max wide but max still overtook him without colliding. lando is not prepared to go with 2 wheels over the line in a battle like max as shown in austria, which resulted in completely unneccessary collision. So no, lando definitely is not ready. This is not a turn-based game man cmon.

[@tombardsley3081]

Different scenarios. Max was passing regardless of what Carlos did. Lando wasnt guaranteed to pass given how max was driving and how close the cars are performance wise.

[@davidvalencia129]

Does mclaren have the minerals ro battle for title? NO. Look at how merc managed the double stack yet mclaren decided to fuck piastri

[@eriklaframboise]

They absolutely can win the constructors. Drivers title no chance

[@lukew6725]

Yep, they have a front of the grid car and a middle of the grid mentality.

[@mutleyeng]

I am a Mclaren guy to the core - but no, they are not ready for a tittle challenge. Seems to me the biggest failing at the moment is that they still have a "we have to keep star drivers sweet" mentality, harking back to the many years they didnt have a competative car. They now need to make the calls they are letting Lando make - take it out of his hands. A Dave Ryan team manager figure wouldnt go amiss either

[@selder_7]

That Merc have won more races than McLaren this season reflects very poorly. McLaren, like Ferrari, are trying to become winning teams again, but that encompasses many areas that need big improvements

[@PetkoIvanov-m4h]

Bit of an overreaction, they overachieved with the upgrades and the team just doesn’t seem battle hardened enough to be leading Red Bull and Merc on strategy at that moment in time, they have been away from the front since 2012 and the personnel is almost completely different, while the others have been at the sharp end for years. It is growing pains and up until now, this version of McL has shown that it could learn from its mistakes, so I don’t think we should pound the alarm yet. As for the drivers, everybody’s getting at Lando for being indecisive, but two things are getting forgotten here: 1. He shouldn’t be the final instance on strategy decisions in the first place, he doesn’t have the info the pit wall has 2. He and Oscar are still relatively young and inexperienced, of course Max and Lewis will be more able to make the right calls in similar circumstances, when they have been fighting at the top for not such a short time now They will be fine, expect both drivers to be properly fighting for the championship in 2025

[@Redlingstein]

2025… nope, still too soon.

[@Hachi.899]

There's time but the gap is getting bigger and bigger

[@speeddemon2901]

And with merc going up against mclaren max just needs 3 more positive weekends...wherein he beats lando and pretty much you are left with around 90 points gap for 9 races which means lando has to win and hope max finishes third every race

[@markovasil1608]

Hamilton vs Norris -> the difference between a top driver and a champion

[@gorkemb4613]

He can't handle it. He can't handle the pressure. Max somehow managed this pressure against Hamilton, the most experienced and fastest racer on the track, with his anger and stubbornness. Or Hamilton finished right behind world champion Alonso in his first race and made people say, "Did you bring a champion candidate here?" Lando just can't handle the pressure, and he's not even in a title fight like the other two drivers. Oscar doing so well. l've no sympathy against McL but If car would be that good 2025 going to be Oscar year.

[@suiyan6297]

I was thinking about the same thing. Maclaren completely forgot how to fight a title fight. They even went for ferrari esk strategy blumders.

[@Kwik63]

McLaren is learning to win, much like the bulls of the late 20 naughts. I see Oscar as two years off from exceptionalism. Lando is there but his team and him need to learn the art of the KISS. Keep it si... st....

[@justinlzy]

They have been this mid field team and sometimes back markers for so long, all of their winning mentality went out of the window, their mission this year is to find it back

[@NuggetzDesigns]

Some drivers have ice in their blood, Max, Lewis, Fernando and some don't that's a big factor why these mistakes keep happening to Lando, however I believe this will be good in the long run, give him a competivive car again next year and the mistakes will be less

[@Duval-In-The-Wall]

Alonso isn’t an “ice in veins” driver

[@RockSolitude]

@@Duval-In-The-Wall Alonso is "fire in veins" driver. Red hot. Lewis I wouldn't call an "ice blood" driver. He's a bit like Lando in some ways.

[@Duval-In-The-Wall]

@@RockSolitude Exactly this, people always say “oh the WDC-level drivers are ice old, never lose their cool” and then bring up Hamilton and Alonso, two of the most emotional and fiery drivers I’ve ever seen 2007 alone gives a great example of what I’m talking about, 2011 for Hamilton

[@danielainger]

@@Duval-In-The-Wall Senna was incredibly emotional

[@Duval-In-The-Wall]

@@danielainger Correct. Not everyone is Kimi

[@AdvaitChatterji]

McLaren is getting used to winning again and it should be getting clearer to them that just having a rocketship and 2 drivers with blistering pace is not enough to win races. Sometimes yes, that's all you need but not if you want to be consistently winning. Also, justice for the boy Piastri, he was flying out there only to get shafted by poor strategy AGAIN.

[@Redlingstein]

He was outqualified by Lando. Thus Lando got preferred strategy… This is on Piastri himself….. nobody else.

[@Nadia-nm2uw]

@@Redlingstein Dude omg, no one is arguing that Oscar deserved to be prioritized OVER Lando. They are saying that McLaren should have made the decision to double stack so Oscar would have only lost a few seconds compared to the almost 20 seconds he lost because he was kept out for one more lap. That was a mistake that the pit wall made, not Oscar. People would be arguing the same if the drivers’ positions had been swapped too - if Oscar had been ahead, they still SHOULD have double stacked. This isn’t about Lando vs. Oscar, it’s about the TEAM, and McLaren’s terrible strategy calls when it matters most.

[@Gatorsfan456]

I feel like I’m taking crazy pills - Ocon and Zhou both had softs and they sucked. Like yeah they’re not front runners and it was full fuel different conditions but still there were still data there. Instantly blew my mind when Hamilton went on softs, then Norris did

[@FedeIIo]

Nice editing! Great work Tommo

[@larssonk22]

Hopefully they are actually addressing the issues not just beating themselves up over it and promising to do better _next_ time.

[@McLfansSerbia]

The team has the strongest car, a great set-up of drivers, but... the strategy in important moments is bad. I was listening to the team radio, confusion. Lando still has a lot to learn about the decisions he makes. The team must no longer let Lando make the decisions. There are paid engineers for that.

[@Alcatraz760]

No they are not ready for a title fight. Lando has pace and good tyre management down, but i don't see racecraft nor race IQ. Mclaren pitwall are still pitiful and make midfield level decisions. If merc and ferrari make a fast car in 2025, i can definitively say Mclaren are not winning any title that year.

[@jazza241]

another great video Tommy loved it

[@niplbby0073]

The mentality is the biggest problem, this team is spursy as all hell, they have demonstrated at this point that they can make a car good enough to challenge the best of the best yet they still act like theyre a plucky midfield outfit just happy to get points, Ron Dennis wouldnt have allowed for this lmao, but Zak Brown does hence why nothing will change.

[@gabehorn69420]

They should’ve spent more time focusing on their own team and less time crying to the media about Austria. They just look like petulant children with all the media comments then they come out and make one of the worst strategy calls in the last few years. Not a good look

[@Redlingstein]

WELL SAID. Zak had to eat HUNBLE PIE after the SILVERSTONE race lol his face was hilarious…compared to his SILVERSTONE press conf lashing out to damage RBR and Max again abt Austria…

[@septopus3516]

McLaren are taking calculated steps to be number one again. They have not been in this position for decades. McLaren don't want a fluke of a comeback, let them cook, let them gain the experience; I believe McLaren will be in full force in 25. They want to carry this momentum into 26. McLaren are playing the long game. They know this year they can't be contenders, but they're more than just in the conversation, they're part of the plot. Landon is a champion in the making. Don't know about Oscar.

[@jj4485-o5o]

Lando a champion in the making 😂😂😂😂 as soon as a champion gets their hands on a good car they immediatly win races and challenge goats, like Max for example. McLaren exposed Norris, cope

[@sheeshman9713]

"Taking calculated steps" by throwing away victories😂😂😂 yeah thats a great strategy mate

[@krakendeez7415]

Oscar is more likely to become a champion than Norris

[@MurrayMaunder]

Concern is they have had this speed advantage for six races and haven't used it, now Mercedes are joining the contenders. Merc have had upgrades at every round, how do they fit that within the cap? McLaren have had Miami major and a front wing at Austria.

[@moonbathing2002]

100% agree, comunication on the pit wall has to improve for Lando.

[@n.b.5258]

Short answer - no. Even when they are faster and Verstappen doesn't win, he manages to outscore them. (Except Miami, of course)

[@JJAJR71]

Learning to win can be difficult

[@simbru55]

damn the pink/black filter over the videos are really cool to look at👍🏼. Nice addition

[@florisbackx1744]

Let's be honest Lando would never survive a season like 2021, neither would LeClerc. They need a lot of overspeed to grab the championship. Oscar on the other hand, that guy id a stonecold killer, he will deliver when needed.

[@Redlingstein]

The overrated Piastri lol

[@nicolekovala]

⁠​​⁠@Redlingstein lmao cry

[@infinitesquarez]

15:09 Sorry to get pedantic but McLaren have ten percentage *points* more of aero testing time than Red Bull. If Red Bull get 70 units of time and McLaren 80, MCR have ~14% more ATR time than RB. A small difference but this sport hangs on these tiny margins.

[@Crosby69]

Lando changes girls like he changes underpants, Oscar sticks to one just like Max. You cant be a winner without loyalty and respect.

[@brandonhollis9882]

Wow, what nonsense this is. I’d say sticking with a team through the worst of times for 6 years despite having offers to go to the best team is pretty damn loyal

[@doriswembe4941]

How does this relate to racing?

[@MrGoobee]

Well, the Lando hype train got a reality check. I'm pretty sure Oscar is the guy the team should bet if they want to win a championship. Oscar's mindset is scary!!

[@ladyblabla3611]

First MClaren should look at them self instead of talking about others. It's all so childish and bully mentallity. Just pure focus on themself and learn from this year and make steps. Piastri will be a World champion i feel. 2nd year in F1 and he is allready making huge steps. Lando is standing still and making errors. cracking under pressure. For the camera he is also still an act. Just be yourself Lando!

[@maurommmmm4187]

I think is worth to mention that McLaren set up their cars more for wet conditions, while Mercedes opted for less drag. That's why with the inters the papayas were flying (Sainz too), but than the pace went back to Mercs and Max when the track dried out. Also, with less downforce you use less rubber, hence Lewis was able to carry on with the softs, while Lando had more deg

[@maurommmmm4187]

Oscar instead, possibly had his front wing adjusted on his last pit stop, justifying his great pace on the last stint. Furthemore. The different setups paid dividends in qualifying as well, with the Mercs and Max going faster then the McLarens as Q3 was run in slick conditions

[@JC-lu4se]

@@maurommmmm4187 He had mediums on and Lando had softs which don't work so well on the McLaren.

[@maurommmmm4187]

@@JC-lu4se yeah, that contributed as well on his pace

[@__ireth2360]

Rome wasn’t build in a day so I’m patiently watching as this year progresses for them. Oscar and Tom are definitely improving. I like Tom and for sure he has more experience to help Oscar

[@andrewntoth1]

Mclaren were too nervous to make the wrong call , making it awkward and the wrong call . The best race engineers aim for the shortest reply possible (i.e yes , no , copy , understood) . It's a no brainer that new mediums would be the better tyre over 15 laps compared to a used soft , perhaps they need to work on being confident with themselves before worrying too much about the other teams .

[@bhavaniprasad7084]

From all of this what I got was Lando is fast but needs some more experience to read the condition and make most of his machinery and how much ever British media tries to bring down Max's reputation or create fake rivalries, Max has always been successful to make them turn around their narrative