After a complicated start to the 2026 Formula 1 season, McLaren showed signs of recovery at the Miami Grand Prix, with drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finishing in second and third place, respectively. However, Norris has expressed uncertainty about whether the team managed to “maximize everything” its potential during the race.
The Miami GP was the fourth round of the season, and McLaren implemented a series of upgrades for its MCL40 car. These updates seemed to have significantly improved the car’s performance, especially in managing the energy of the Mercedes engine, while competing against the current championship leaders, Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.
Norris secured pole position and won the sprint race, reflecting a notable improvement for the team. “I’m feeling very satisfied with the current situation, as we are competing for victories and we had a very strong weekend,” commented the British driver.
However, after the race, Norris expressed doubts about whether McLaren had optimized its opportunities throughout the competition. He realized that the way he was overtaken by Antonelli, who made an early stop to gain a strategic advantage, could have been a crucial factor in the final result.
“We shouldn’t have found ourselves in this situation in the first place,” Norris said, emphasizing that how the pit stop was managed was decisive. The team’s principal, Andrea Stella, agreed with Norris, emphasizing that despite the progress made, there are areas to improve, both in strategy and execution of the stops.
Stella explained that “the timing of the stop was decisive, but we also lost time on track, including the time in the pit stop and during the in-lap.” The head of McLaren stressed that, despite the oversights in various areas, the team had managed to make the car competitive again, which is a positive step for the team.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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