Episode 384 - It's Happening Again Isn't It? (89/90/07)

Episode 384 - It's Happening Again Isn't It? (89/90/07)

From Formula 1 Podcast by 3Legs 4Wheels F1

December 4, 2025 · 2h 8m · Episode 384

About this episode

The episode discusses the penultimate race weekend of the season where Lando Norris faced a critical championship challenge due to a strategic gamble by McLaren.

It was all lined up. The penultimate race weekend of the season at a track that isn't exactly condusive to overtakes. Lando just needed to outscore both his rivals by 2 points over the sprint and the Grand Prix to claim his first World Driver's crown, he was starting ahead of Max Verstappen in both races and he's had the measure of Oscar Piastri recently. It's a sure thing isn't it? This week on the podcast we look back at the race weekend where Lando Norris could well have lost the championship after McLaren took a gamble on strategy straight out the Ferrari playbook and managed to keep the 3 way title fight alive right up to the final race of the season next weekend in Abu Dhabi (and we all know how that's gone before don't we). How did they manage to get everything so wrong and be the only team not to pit under a safety car with 50 laps to go when there were compulsory stops after a maximum of 25 laps on a set of tyres? At least for the likes of us we've got another season where the finale isn't a dead rubber/lame duck and we're not going to know who the 2025 World Champion is until Sunday afternoon (unless something goes badly wrong in qualifying of course!) So of course…

People in this episode

Host: 3Legs 4Wheels F1

Topics covered

  • Formula 1
  • Lando Norris
  • championship battle
  • race strategy
  • McLaren
  • safety car
  • 2026 driver lineup

Keywords

  • Formula 1
  • Lando Norris
  • Max Verstappen
  • McLaren strategy
  • Abu Dhabi
  • World Championship
  • safety car
  • 2026 driver lineup

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: McLaren, Ferrari

Places: Abu Dhabi

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