McLaren’s Miami Grand Prix Triumph: A Closer Look at Their Superiority

In the recently concluded Miami Grand Prix, McLaren showcased their true potential, leaving a lasting impression with their impressive performance. Until this race, various race circumstances had partially concealed their speed.

The Gap and Lando Norris’ Comeback: A Measure of McLaren’s Potential

Two elements that stood out in Florida were the significant gap between McLaren and the competition and Lando Norris’ swift comeback after the first-lap incident. Despite some assistance from factors like DRS, Norris managed to close the gap to Max Verstappen in just 13 laps.

The speed at which Norris recovered gave a tangible indication of McLaren‘s potential in Miami. However, this performance fits into a broader picture: a gap of nearly 40 seconds to third-place man George Russell at the chequered flag.

Decoding McLaren’s Performance: Tire Management and Technical Versatility

Tire management is one of the factors contributing to McLaren‘s performance. But it’s not the only one. The car seems to do an excellent job of keeping its tires in an ideal operating window, especially under challenging conditions.

McLaren has applied lessons from 2024, not just in terms of tire management but also mechanical and aerodynamic versatility and effectiveness in slow sections – a weakness they previously struggled with. This is where the nearly 40-second gap to the competition comes from.

The Versatile MCL39: Adapting to a Wide Range of Tracks

The MCL39 isn’t perfect, but it is the most complete – capable of adapting to a wide range of tracks. While Miami played more to McLaren‘s strengths than Red Bull’s, it remains a complex track to set up for, requiring a balance between slow corners, fast sections, and straights.

It is precisely thanks to this versatility that McLaren is able to make the difference – continuing to dominate in the slow sections without overly compromising performance in medium-high speed areas, where other cars remain absolutely superior.

Temperature Factors and Technical Excellence: The Keys to McLaren’s Success

Another performance factor is clearly temperature-related. The Honda engine requires more pronounced hot air dissipation, and it’s no coincidence that in the hottest or most humid races, Red Bull is among the cars with the largest cooling louvres.

By contrast, the Mercedes power unit seems to handle this requirement better, and some of McLaren‘s design choices have maximised its potential. This allows for tighter, more streamlined bodywork – not just along the engine cover, but also at the end of the central cooling outlet – resulting in clear benefits for aerodynamic efficiency.

Another characteristic that works well with the McLaren car is cooling. When it’s hot, the car remains relatively closed, precisely because a lot of work has gone into this area as well. ‘s engineering excellence has reached a level that really makes a difference.