Once again, the McLarens are the slowest in a straight line in Miami

Once again this season, the omnipotent Max Verstappen defies the odds and steals pole position at McLaren in Miami. Apart from the Dutchman, no other driver has yet managed to achieve this feat this year. Now it is his task to convert his pole into a Grand Prix victory, a recurring task for the Dutchman who, in the history of the Formula 1, is one of the best in this exercise with an exceptional conversion rate of 76,74%.

Will it, like Japan this year, once again be able to keep the papaya single-seaters in its diffuser? One thing is certain: the Red Bull has the advantage of speed, given that once again, the McLarens are the slowest on the grid in a straight line.

Difficult overtaking for McLaren?

In second and fourth positions on the starting grid of the Grand Prix, the McLarens will have to get rid of the Mercedes Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen's Red Bull if they want to secure a one-two finish in the first American round of the season. However, overtaking could prove tricky for the Papayas. In qualifying, they lacked top speed compared to the competition. At the end of the long straight before Turn 17, Lando Norris et Oscar piastri were clocked at 334 and 336 km/h, about 5 km/h slower than Max Verstappen or Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

🚨TOP SPEEDS IN MIAMI QUALITY

It will be difficult for both McLarens to overtake tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/3dbYS1qhwN

— Holiness (@F1BigData) May 3, 2025

In Bahrain, the orange cars were in a similar situation. Clinical in the corners, slow and fast, they lacked the speed of their competitors on the straights. Oscar Piastri, who had taken pole, had encountered no mishaps during the race, as he didn't need to make any maneuvers to win. However, for Lando Norris, sixth on the grid after a difficult Saturday, the comeback was a thorny affair on the Sakhir circuit. His maneuver choices had to be carefully considered—something he wasn't always able to do, costing him second place on the podium to George Russell.

In Miami, the McLarens will not only have to try to overtake Verstappen, but also resist the ambitions of an uninhibited Antonelli, still looking for his first podium in Formula 1. The answer will be this Sunday at 22:00 p.m. French time.

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