Max Verstappen realistic after McLaren masterclass in Miami: “Season may already be decided”. Max Verstappen concedes McLaren's dominance after being powerless in Miami.

Max Verstappen, who started from pole position, did everything he could to hold off Piastri and Norris, but he stood no chance against the speed of the two McLarens.

A Saturday to remember, a Sunday to forget. Starting from pole, Max Verstappen knew exactly how hard it would be to maintain the lead given the pace of the McLarens. But if there’s one driver who has proven difficult to overtake in recent years, it’s the four-time world champion.

At the start, the Dutchman defended aggressively but fairly against Lando Norris, pushing the British driver off track. However, he could only delay the inevitable: he had to surrender the lead to Oscar Piastri on lap 14 and second place to Norris on lap 18. What’s most concerning for him—and the rest of the grid—is a telling statistic: it’s well known McLaren has the best car, but the gap to George Russell, who finished third, was around 37 seconds. That’s a margin few could have predicted and one that will be difficult to close.

Verstappen is the last to give up—but also the most realistic. “The McLarens are by far superior to everyone. We overheat the tyres too early and, as a result, suffer higher degradation even in clean air.” Looking at the final result, the Dutchman admitted this season might already be decided. “I might win a few races—on tracks like Suzuka, where overtaking is difficult. I could even start at the front, but on circuits where passing is possible, it’s impossible to keep the McLarens behind.”

Commenting on the virtual safety car, which cost him third place, Max Verstappen said he was unlucky, but noted that whether he finished third or fourth didn’t matter much—he simply didn’t have the pace to win.

Helmut Marko shared the same, if not an even bleaker, perspective. “Today the true pecking order was clear. McLaren is currently at least seven-tenths faster than us per lap. For Max, there’s no way to match their speed. We’ll bring upgrades to Imola, but I seriously doubt they’ll be enough to close such a massive gap.”

Still, if there’s one driver capable of making a difference, it’s Max Verstappen. If the Imola upgrades work, the season could take a different turn… or are we already looking at a foregone conclusion?