Miami GP 2025, another F1 race where McLaren can achieve a one-two finish. This is a bit of the recent story in the top category, where the Woking team is dominating the scene from a strictly technical point of view. The historic British team currently holds an advantage, while waiting for the other teams to develop their cars. There is also another important aspect regarding aeroelasticity.
The issue of flexible wings will be heavily limited starting from the Spanish Grand Prix. We do not expect a radical change in performance, since the MCL39 does not base its strengths on this feature. However, this element could make the British car appear slightly more “human” and at the same time bring the competition closer. Meanwhile, Florida arrives – a weekend to fully enjoy.
Keeping the rivals under control from a distance
The Miami Grand Prix presents itself as fertile ground for the McLaren MCL39, a car that has shown extraordinary adaptability to the various compromises required by world championship tracks, at least so far. On the other hand, one of the characteristics strongly desired by the team is precisely the car’s versatility – a fundamental parameter in this F1 season.
Until the Spanish Grand Prix, the historic British team only has to worry about managing the advantage it currently holds over the rest of the field, the result of a perfect refinement job over the winter. The layout of the Miami International Autodrome favours the characteristics of the Woking car, thanks to its combination of fast corners, slow sections, and long straights.
The track is characterised by a varied structure, with sectors alternating between wide-radius and banked corners, low-speed sections where mechanical grip is key, and high-speed zones where top speed becomes a crucial factor. This diverse layout requires teams to find as balanced a setup as possible.
McLaren, the aerodynamic map as a big advantage
A task the MCL39 has proven to handle more effectively than its rivals. It is not an easy job for them either, although the difficulties encountered compared to Ferrari, for example, are significantly fewer. The strength of McLaren lies in its wide operational window, which allows it to be competitive on almost every circuit.
Last year, McLaren tended to build its performance from fast corners, having to sacrifice behaviour in slower sections. In 2025, the team has worked intensely to perfect overall balance. It has done so by improving performance in slower corners without sacrificing its high efficiency in the faster sections of the circuits.
In the first sector, the MCL39 should be quite strong. The wide-radius corners suit the car’s design philosophy and, not only on paper, should represent a turning point in the battle with Ferrari, especially if the team manages to quickly identify the ideal setup during the only free practice session granted in the Sprint format weekend.
In the final two sectors, McLaren will find its biggest advantage over the Red Bull RB21. This will come from perfect management during acceleration phases – a crucial factor for maintaining consistent performance in slow corners and traction, where Red Bull will aim to close the gap by capitalising on the straights, where they are currently significantly stronger. This is McLaren’s current first limitation: not generating enough top speed.
The MCL39’s issue to manage in Miami
And this might be the only small limitation of the British team. At the moment, it has not yet proven to be a real “critical” issue, but as mentioned, it could become one starting from the Spanish Grand Prix, when directive TD018 comes into effect and all teams will bring new versions of their front wings to the track. A factor we await with interest to understand how the situation will evolve.
Returning to Miami, with only one practice session available, the quality of work done in the simulator will be decisive. Additionally, one of the key aspects in Florida will be tyre temperature management. In this area, the MCL39 seems to have an advantage: the ability to maintain consistent grip when temperatures rise significantly could be the key to consolidating the team’s competitiveness.
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