McLaren experienced a day of contrasts on Saturday in Formula 1 in Miami. After dominating the Sprint race with a one-two finish, the team lost performance in Q3 and saw competitors respond in the qualifying session for Sunday’s GP.
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The scenario shows how the balance on the grid can change quickly, especially in variable conditions. Even so, the overall performance indicates progress for the British team, which is already projecting a busy race this Sunday.
Lando Norris won the Sprint race with authority, controlling the race in clean air, but finished the qualifying session only in fourth place: “It was a mixed day. In the Sprint we managed to maximize the car, but in qualifying our rivals delivered what they are capable of,” he said. He also pointed out difficulties with the car in hotter and windy conditions, although he considered the result a step forward compared to previous rounds.
Oscar Piastri completed the one-two in the Sprint, but faced a more complicated session afterwards. The Australian secured only seventh place on the starting grid and cited multiple factors for the drop in performance: “It was a messier qualifying session. We had wind changes, high temperatures, and even unexpected behavior from the power unit, especially in Q3,” he said, highlighting that there are important points to review.
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The team principal, Andrea Stella, evaluated the weekend as positive so far, highlighting the introduction of updates to the car. According to him, competitiveness increased, but the execution in the qualifying session was not ideal: “We managed to extract the maximum in the Sprint qualifying and the Sprint race, but we did not have the same precision in Q3,” he said.
Stella also highlighted the balance of the grid, with minimal differences between the cars, and reinforced the expectation for Sunday: “Even with P4 and P7, we remain confident to fight for the top positions. The forecast of unstable weather could make the race quite unpredictable,” he added.
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