Is Cooling the Secret Behind McLaren’s F1 Dominance in Miami?

McLaren stunned in Miami with pace and precision. Behind the scenes, it wasn’t just tyres, cooling tech played a key role.

Andrea Stella didn’t expect McLaren to dominate the Miami Grand Prix quite so convincingly. With a one-two finish from Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, the team principal praised the strong tyre management, but he believes something deeper made the difference: the car’s cooling system.

“I was a bit surprised by the size of the gap,” Stella admitted. “I thought we’d have an edge on tyre management, but not to the extent we saw throughout the race.”

He pointed to an often-overlooked factor in Formula 1: how a car handles heat.
“When it’s hot, tyre performance gets tricky, that’s well known. But in our case, the MCL39’s cooling system works exceptionally well. It’s been engineered to handle high temperatures efficiently, which lets us run a tighter bodywork setup without overheating. That kind of detail is where McLaren’s engineering really shines.”

Despite the success, Stella wasn’t fully satisfied with how Lando Norris handled the start of the race. He believes the Briton might have been too eager to take the lead from Max Verstappen at Turn 2.

“In hindsight, it would’ve been better for Lando to back off slightly and hold second. The car was quick enough to eventually get past Max, just like Oscar did earlier. Patience would have paid off.”

Still, Stella acknowledged the fine margins:
“I like seeing Lando being aggressive, it’s part of what makes him a great racer. But in that moment, the move was right on the edge of what’s acceptable. The stewards chose not to act, but it was close.”

Stella also highlighted areas for improvement. Piastri lost pace between Q2 and Q3, and Norris lost time during the race due to a track limits issue that forced him to give a position back.

“These are little things we need to tidy up. Both drivers are very receptive and quick to adapt, which is a big strength for the team.”

Overall, Stella was proud of what McLaren achieved in Miami:
“First and second in the Sprint, then again in the Grand Prix, that’s a first for any team during a Sprint weekend. After such a close qualifying, it was fantastic to see both cars performing so strongly in race conditions.”

The result also had symbolic value.
“This weekend marked the anniversary of our first win in this new era for McLaren. It shows how far we’ve come, thanks to the dedication of everyone in the factory, our partners, and our fans.”

Looking ahead, Stella remains grounded:
“This is a strong foundation for the rest of the year, but we know Miami had its own unique conditions. Now we shift our focus back to Europe, keep improving the MCL39, and stay humble. The real test continues.”