Race Notes | 2025 US Grand Prix at COTA | Epi #149 | Max's Masterclass, McLaren's Mounting Pressure & Ferrari's Brilliant Defense

What happens when championship pressure meets Texas heat and a fierce Red Bull resurgence? Dick and Sabrina bring trackside perspectives from COTA, where Max Verstappen's dominance reduced Oscar's lead to just 40 points with five races remaining.

Max's Championship Mettle: This isn't the Max from previous title runs—he's the underdog now, and thriving on it. Sabrina witnessed his masterclass firsthand: clean start, flawless execution, gap-building precision. He's "loose as a goose" while rivals crumble under pressure.

Ferrari's Strategic Battle: Charles Leclerc's defense against Lando on softs was perfection, holding off the faster McLaren despite COTA's fierce winds. But did Ferrari's pit timing cost P2? Meanwhile, Lewis pushed his Mercedes to P4, but the lack of pace has to be frustrating.

McLaren's Sprint Crash Fallout: The Turn 1 incident between Oscar and Lando damaged more than cars—it fractured championship composure. Sabrina argues the weekend would've been completely different without that collision, which stressed both garages psychologically.

Mercedes' Reality Check: George questioned in Singapore whether Mercedes had figured out their car. COTA provided a harsh answer: they haven't. With tire degradation mitigated and overtaking opportunities evaporating, can they find form in cooler conditions ahead?

Franco's Team Orders Controversy: Colapinto ignored Alpine's team orders. Sabrina takes the minority position: it was wrong, especially for a rookie needing a 2026 seat. Defying orders isn't the professionalism teams want.

Red Bull's Tape Tactics: Removing Lando's grid position tape sparked controversy, but Sabrina and Dick land firmly in Red Bull's camp: it's classic F1 cleverness.

COTA's Wind Factor: Everyone expected high degradation from heat. Instead, wind brought cooler temps and made following nearly impossible. Dick and Sabrina were shocked by tire longevity and surprised the 180-degree wind shift between Saturday and Sunday forced major setup changes.

Championship Implications: McLaren has stopped 2025 development to focus on 2026—potentially handing Max his fifth consecutive title. Could they win constructors but lose drivers' for the second straight year? 

Trackside Experience: Dick, his wife, son Derek, and Derek's friend met Sabrina Friday at Turns 7-10. With 400,000+ fans across 3 days and a contract extension through 2034, COTA has secured its place as F1's American home.

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