McLaren soars at Interlagos
McLaren is flying in Formula 1 at Interlagos. The Brazilian GP presents an ideal scenario for the two MCL39 cars, which benefit from an excellent base setup thanks to optimized ride heights. The high downforce produced by the floor maximizes performance in the second sector, a crucial part of the track where having a stable car can make a huge difference in lap times.
Minor issues handled brilliantly by Lando Norris
The short track length contributed to a compact grid, a predictable factor even before heading on track. This naturally intensified the battle for the front rows, where Mercedes managed to slot in with Kimi Antonelli. He missed what could have been his second F1 pole by just 97 thousandths—unfortunately for the young Italian from Bologna.
On McLaren’s side, while the team clearly had plenty of performance to exploit, not everything was perfect on the Brazilian circuit. Even the two British cars faced minor challenges related to car balance, particularly at the rear. This scenario has been observed before this season on tracks requiring a reduction of rear downforce.
In certain corners, the rear was borderline and tended to lighten excessively on entry, causing a slight over-rotation. Interlagos is a circuit full of bumps and surface irregularities that teams must carefully manage, adding complexity to car setup.
Considering technical factors assessed in recent weeks, Woking seems to have a clear advantage in this type of scenario. The team can lower the floor more aggressively without excessive wear, which also explains why Ferrari’s performance window has narrowed compared to previous races.
The specific advantage McLaren exploits in sector two
Beyond ride height considerations, telemetry data show that car number 4 has clearly dominated the central sector of the track, a section that carries significant weight in the overall lap time. Ferrari struggled in this sector, showing difficulties both on corner entry and exit.
The time an F1 car spends in this part of the track is roughly half a lap, which makes having a stable and fast car through T2 extremely effective. McLaren once again confirmed their high downforce levels and excellent tire management. Oscar Piastri showed signs of improvement, though he is not yet at the level of his teammate.
Lando Norris looks poised for a potentially dominant weekend, creating more of a gap over his teammate. However, the weekend is still long, and the risk of rain could reshuffle the order. Max Verstappen, at least for today’s mini-race, seems unlikely to rejoin the fight. McLaren remains the favorite for the entire Brazilian GP weekend, especially if they can fine-tune the car further after the Sprint Race.
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