McLaren’s competitors have been aware of its remarkable tyre performance in hot conditions, but the level displayed at Formula 1’s Miami Grand Prix was astonishing, even to the McLaren team itself.
Reflecting on a victory that saw Oscar Piastri finish over 37 seconds ahead of the nearest rival not driving a McLaren, he stated, “This is clearly an exceptional case compared to our pace this year. We’ve always had a solid car, but the speed we enjoyed from the very start was unexpected, even for us.”
The race outcome was disheartening for McLaren’s rivals. Pole-sitter Max Verstappen ended the race in fourth, almost 40 seconds behind Piastri. He was acutely aware of how significant that gap is in F1 terms. “They were miles ahead,” he remarked. “Their pace on a track notorious for high thermal degradation showcases a clear advantage.”
McLaren’s excellence can be attributed to its ability to maintain cooler rear tyre temperatures than its competitors, resulting in prolonged performance without slipping and overheating. “Cooler tyres translate to better grip,” Verstappen noted.
The specifics of McLaren’s tyre management strategy remain elusive to other teams; if they understood it, they would likely adopt a similar approach. Miami provided an ideal environment for demonstrating this advantage, with some of the highest air and track temperatures of the season.
As Piastri commented on the Miami race conditions, “The corners felt slower, making tyre management even more crucial, and that’s been a strength for us this year. This was the first race with such extreme track temperatures, assisting our pace significantly.”
While McLaren is indeed ahead in tyre management, other factors contributed to its dominant performance in Miami. One notable aspect is its superior cooling configuration, which allows the car to remain aerodynamically efficient even as temperatures rise. Andrea Stella, McLaren’s team principal, emphasized the effectiveness of their engineering in adapting the car’s layout to enhance cooling without compromising performance.
