Jacques Villeneuve was brutal in his criticism of McLaren’s decision-making at the F1 Emilia-Romaꦗgna 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.

Verstappen brilliantly stole the lead from pole-sitter Piastri at Turℱn 1 on Lap 1 then held on comfortably.

Norris, with fresher tyres, overtook his teammate in the final lapsꦺ 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 strength 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 firs꧑t corner, he got caught out sleeping. He should never have come out second.

“Then he didn’t have the pace, which was odd. Norris haꦑd more pace.”

McLaren questioned: "Happy with second and third?"

Two Safety Car periods interrupted the F1 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, which turned from an e⭕xpected one-stop to a two-stop race.

But Verstappen remained in total control thr🎐oughout.

Villeneuve criticised: “On the restart, McLaren🧔 knew it was a matter of laps untiꩲl Norris overtook Piastri with the tyre difference. It was obvious.

“So why make him lose🎃 three laps instead of giving him a shot at Verstappen? 

“Because Verstapp🐎en is in for the championship, you don’t want to give him p꧋oints!

“They seem to be happy with second and third. McLaren have a car whe꧙re a good weekend is first and second. Anything less is disappointing. Firs🐼t 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 𝐆run of three consecutive grand prix wins.

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 Max 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 didn’t have any response to Max, whose pace was muc🤡h superior.

“Oscar was forced into a different ♌strategy to box early. That d🍰erailed his whole race. That’s where it went wrong.

“If Land🌼o had that much pace, he’d have cleared Oscar earlᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚier. They didn’t give him an opportunity to fight Max. I don’t think he had anything to fight Max with.”

Vill෴eneuve would not back down from hi൲s stark assessment of McLaren’s race at Imola.

He argued: “That weakness thing - you se♛e it in the strategy. When Norris went long, why pit him?

“You made the decision to go long. Stay on the track, your 🍌paꩲce is still good.

“It’s as if you’re afraid ♒to go for it! Then, they didn’t take advantage of the Virtual Safety 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 dec🍰isions, Chadwick claims.

However, she noted that they reꦜmain in a very healthy position in both championships♕.

“It’s a case of hav🍨ing two No1 drivers, and no standout,” she insisted.

“If Red Bull had another driver e🥂qual to Max, it would be the same hea🎃dache there.

“It’s a good problem to have. It’s not a bad thing to have two drivers fighting for the championshi🎐p.

“🥃But they can’t put in those orders so soon that one drive꧑r gets the hump with the other.

“There will be a clash at some point. You can pre-empt that. When that happens, McLa༺ren have to handl🐭e that.

“They are playing a good team game.”

Villeneuve had the last word.

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

“He reminds me of Ayrton Sennaꦦ. A driver who can ‘out-win’ the o𓆉pposition.

“The Red Bull, on ꦉpaper, is not a McLa꧙ren. But somehow they manage with strength and will.”

The F1 Monaco Grand🎉 Prix is next weekend offering McLaren aꦫnd Red Bull a fresh challenge to go toe-to-toe again.