One of the teams that will receive the most attention in Miami will be McLaren. Despite the presence of the Sprint Race format, many teams between China and Miami have decided to introduce upgrades. Alpine is trying to get back on top with a new floor and other updates. Gasly will receive the latest A524 components this weekend. Meanwhile, Haas continues with its aggressive approach, bringing forward upgrades initially planned for Imola. They will then carry out comparison work – much like the Racing Bulls.
Mercedes and McLaren will also bring upgrades, with Ferrari waiting for Imola to introduce a package that already has very high expectations. Andrea Stella’s team is confident that upgrades to the MCL38 can bring them closer to race wins.
UPGRADES FROM MIAMI COULD BUILD ON LAST YEAR’S TRAJECTORY
The Woking car has so far confirmed itself as second-best on average, with the exception of Lando Norris’s exploits in China. The characteristics of the MCL38 do not differ much from those of last season. It is a car equipped with a lot of aerodynamic load, making it stand out in fast corners – where it keeps pace with Red Bull.
On the other hand, it still suffers from drag and an inefficient DRS system. The MCL38 also has a front end that is less reactive than it should be.
In China the Sprint format and the temperatures helped Andrea Stella’s men, limiting the time available to the others in setting up the car.
This was a problem that penalized Ferrari, who failed to reach expectations – as Fred Vasseur conceded: “too many errors that did not allow us to extract the potential of the SF-24.”
On the contrary, the Woking technicians worked well and made effective set-up changes.
What McLaren feared most was running into the usual problems of overheating the rear tyres. This was set to be a limiting factor against Red Bull and Ferrari. In China, this affected them during the Sprint.
However, thanks to the second parc ferme in China, the situation improved on race day. McLaren capitalised on Ferrari’s mistakes with set-up.
In Miami, overheating of the tires on the rear axle will be a significant factor and the upcoming innovations, which will improve the performance of the MCL38, will have to help from this point of view too.
“If the correlation is confirmed, the developments in Miami will allow us to take a notable step forward,” commented the Italian Team Principal.
This package will not be on the scale of those of last year’s step Austria or Singapore upgrades. Still, they should confirm the Woking-based team’s direction of development for the near future.
Inconvenience for Lando Norris during the break, but he will be on track
There was some concern when a photo of Lando Norris covered in protective bandages circulated on social media. The English pilot had evidently been hit by something which caused damage to his nose and face in general. Everyone, and in particular the fans of the young Formula 1 star, were worried about his condition.
Since the last round, Norris has spent time in Amsterdam with his friend DJ Garrix. It was at this party that he sustained the injury shown in the photo circulating online.
According to what formu1a.uno has learned, McLaren has clarified that its driver’s condition does is not a problem. He will be regularly on track in Miami alongside Oscar Piastri.
