Jacques Villeneuve was brutal in his criticism of McLaren’s decis💝ion-making at the F1 Emilia-R🅠omagna Grand Prix.

168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lando Norris finished second, and Oscar Piastri third, behind Red Bull’s 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Max Verstappen at Imola.

Ver🅘stappen brilliantly stole the lead from pole-sitter Piastri at Turn 1 on Lap 1 then held on comfortably.

Norris, with fresher tyres, ovꦿertook his teammate i🌄n the final laps but was never close to Verstappen.

But Villeneuve, the 1997 F1 champion, wasn’t impressed with the decisions made by team principal Andrea Stella and those inside the McLaren garage.

2025 F1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix - Race Result from Round 7

“They show weakness, basically. They don’t show the streng🐽th that Red Bull show🅘 year after year,” Villeneuve claimed to Sky Sports.

“It’s as if they are afraid to be aggressive and win the drivers’ championship, and they are afraid to go against 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Oscar Piastri.

“It’s really, really odd.

“Piastri messed up that first corner, he got caught out sleeping. Heౠ should never have come out second.

“Then he didn’t have the pace, which was odd. Norris ha♐d more pa𒈔ce.”

McLaren questioned: "Happy with second and third?"

Two Safety Car per❀iods interrupted the F1 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, which turned from an expected one-stop to a two-stop race.

But Verstappen remaineꦯd in total control thr𓆏oughout.

Villeneuve criticised: “On the restart, McLaren knew it was a matter of laps 🐈until Norris overtook Piastri with the tyre differe💃nce. It was obvious.

“So why make him los🦩e thre༒e laps instead of giving him a shot at Verstappen? 

“Because Verstappen is in for the championship, 🌱you don’t want to 🥀give him points!

“They seem to be happy with second and third. McLaren have a car where a good weekend is firs𒀰t and second. Anything less is disappointing. First and third is barely acceptable.

“But they seem happy with second and third…”

Piastri remains the leader in the 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:F1 standings, with teammate Norris 13 points behind him.

Verstappen is 22 points off the lead after ending Piastri’s run of three consecutive grand prix w🐬ins.

McLaren retain their lead in the constructors’ with Mercedes second, Red Bull third.

“I think they were happy with second and third because they thought M🍌ax had a quicker car today,” Jamie Chadwick assessed.

“When Max overtook Oscar, I thought ‘Oscar will really hound him for the🅰 next few laps’. But he didn’t. He d๊idn’t have any response to Max, whose pace was much superior.

“Oscar was forced into a different str♈ategy to box early. That 🍸derailed his whole race. That’s where it went wrong.

“If Lando had that much pace, he’d have cleared Oscar earlier. They didn’t give him an opportunity to fight M🧸ax. I don’t think he had anything to fight Max with.”

Villeneuve would not back down from his stark asse🎃ssment ꦆof McLaren’s race at Imola.

He argued: “That weakness thing - you see it iಌn the strategy. When Norris went longꦕ, why pit him?

“You madꦉe the decision to go long. Stay on the track, your pace is still good.

“It’s as if you’re afraid to go for it! Then, they didn’t take advantage of the Virtual S🌊afety Car.

“It shows a lack of ‘let’s go for it…’”

McLaren’s🔯 policy of not naming a No1 driver is behind their occasionally dubious strategy decisions, Chadwick claims.

However, she noted tha💦t they ✤remain in a very healthy position in both championships.

“I💎t’s a case of having two No1 drivers, and no standout,” she insisted.

“If Red Bull had another driver equal to Max, itไ would be the sa꧃me headache there.

“It’s a good problem to have. It’s💙 not a bad thing to have two drivers fighting for the championship.

“But they can’t put in those orders so soon that one driver get🌸s the hump ༒with the other.

“There will be a clash 🌃🀅at some point. You can pre-empt that. When that happens, McLaren have to handle that.

“They are playing a good team game.”

Villeneuve had the last word.

He insisted: “You can’൩t have two Max’s in ♉a team. These drivers are just unique.

“He reminds me of𓄧 Ayrton Senna. A driver who caꩵn ‘out-win’ the opposition.

“The Red Bull, on paper, is not a McLaren. But somehow they mana꧟ge with strength and will.”

The F1 Monacꦛo Grand Prix is next wಌeekend offering McLaren and Red Bull a fresh challenge to go toe-to-toe again.