How McLaren’s Miami F1 Reign Went Beyond Tire Strategy

At the 2025 Miami Grand Prix, McLaren showed off more than just smart tire management. The team’s MCL39 car stood out for its speed and balance, with Lando Norris making a big impression after climbing from sixth place early on.

Norris had only 13 laps to close the distance to Max Verstappen, who had been delayed in a battle with Oscar Piastri. McLaren’s raw pace was clear, as Norris reeled in Verstappen thanks to both clean passing with DRS and McLaren’s improved car performance.

The final gap from Norris to third-place George Russell was nearly 40 seconds. This wide margin was one of the largest in recent Formula 1 races using ground-effect cars.

While McLaren has earned a strong reputation for tire management, it wasn’t the only reason for this result. Team boss Andrea Stella highlighted how the MCL39 handled tire temperatures, especially on hot tracks, calling attention to the work McLaren’s engineers put into keeping tires cool and at their best.

McLaren’s leap forward comes from learning lessons last year when tire overheating limited the MCL38 car’s performance in Miami. The new MCL39 not only manages tires better but has improved its mechanical grip and aerodynamic balance, especially in slow corners, an area where they struggled before.

During the Miami race, data showed Verstappen losing up to 15 km/h to the McLarens through Turn 5 after fighting hard in the first stint. Once on hard tires, Verstappen recovered some speed in the fast sections, but McLaren’s grip in low-speed corners made the difference.

The MCL39 stands out for its adaptability to a wide range of tracks. Miami has a tough layout, mixing slow corners, fast bends, and long straights. For more on the technical challenges of the Miami circuit, see this analysis by the FIA.

While Red Bull worked to find the right compromise, McLaren was able to keep its strengths in the tricky, slower sections without falling behind in fast areas. Track temperature on race day was close to that seen in Jeddah, but Red Bull’s RB21 struggled with greater tire overheating, revealing another advantage for McLaren.

Part of McLaren’s edge comes from its tight, efficient bodywork and cooling design. The car uses a Mercedes power unit that deals well with Miami’s heat, allowing for a slimmer and more aerodynamic shape. For deeper insights into modern F1 cooling systems, check out this MIT Motorsports research.

Red Bull, powered by Honda, had to run bigger cooling louvres when conditions were warm and humid, making its car less efficient. Stella said the effort engineers put into cooling made a big difference in the race.

After Miami, McLaren’s engineering and technical choices have made the MCL39 one of the most complete cars on the grid. The team’s ability to adapt, manage tires, and engineer for both fast and slow tracks proved to be key in turning a close contest into clear dominance.

While the car isn’t perfect, it has shown that a mix of smart design and detailed preparation can deliver results beyond just managing tires, setting McLaren up as the new team to watch through the rest of the Formula 1 season.