Miami, FL
The real game-changing aspect of McLaren’s Miami F1 upgrades
As the official submission to the FIA about its developments revealed, almost no aerodynamic surface had been left untouched with the full package of changes that had been fitted to Lando Norris’s car.
While the Woking-based squad had teased beforehand about the revisions being part of efforts to address a weakness in low speed, the true motive of these latest developments was obvious: pure downforce.
In F1, though, not all downforce is the same – and the key to real success is in delivering it in as efficient a manner as possible.
Depending on which way you look at it, efficiency is about too much drag, or too little downforce, for a set wing level.
It is quite easy to bring a barn door rear wing that produces a ton of ‘dirty’ downforce to help you be quick around the corners, but that is no good as soon as a car starts stretching its legs on the straights.
What is critical to understand about McLaren’s Miami upgrades is that it brought a double whammy of gains: more clean downforce to be quicker around the corners, which opened the door to letting it run less wing (so more speed on the straights). It was very much a case of having its cake and eating it.
As McLaren team boss Andrea Stella explained, the focus of its effort was on bringing efficient downforce that did not add drag – which then allowed it to trim things off elsewhere.
So after a recent history of it being slightly on the back foot on the straights, it did not go unnoticed that it was more competitive against its rivals now.
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
“We had good top speed here,” explained Stella. “One of the reasons is that we on purpose decided to go for a relatively light rear wing.
“We could do that because we added downforce through the package, and this means that we needed to be less demanding from a rear wing point of view, which is never too efficient.
“When you upgrade a car with floors and sidepods, it’s always more efficient than putting downforce on with a rear wing.”
The overall benefits of the package were also complemented by it going a slightly different way to what would be expected on set-up.
So rather than capitalising on the advantage it has over rivals in high-speed corners, it shifted its focus to be better optimised for the slower sections.
As Stella explained: “We consciously decided to set up the car to maximise low-speed performance.
“The decent performance we had in low-speed is not necessarily because of the characteristic of the package, it’s also because of some conscious decisions as to how we set up the cars to make sure that we were as strong as possible in low-speed.
“If you look at qualifying, we lost quite a lot of time in the high-speed section, but this was kind of a deliberate set-up choice.”
Miami was just the start, and there is more to come too. Stella suggests that upgrades in the pipeline will help further address the problems it has faced in low-speed.
Asked about how much the upgrades had solved its weakness in this area, Stella said: “Not to the entirety that we would have wished. There’s some more specific work and upgrades that we need to deliver to address low-speed in particular.”
Even before the well-timed safety car helped Norris on his way to victory, the potential of the new McLaren upgrade was pretty clear to see.
It hadn’t been shown – with that scrappy lap in SQ3 and a Turn 1 exit in the sprint – but when he got clear air in the race, Norris was flying.
As the Briton explained after the race: “I said already on Friday, it felt good. I was confident on Friday and today that kind of feeling came back to me a lot. It was good. A lot of Sundays recently have been strong. Just today we managed to step it up and turn it into something even more.”
Key now though will be in finding out in Imola as to whether the upgrades are a sign that McLaren is now a genuine threat to Red Bull, or if it was simply good fortune in Miami that helped Norris come out on top.
As runner-up Max Verstappen said when asked about whether he thought he could have won without the safety car: “I mean, it’s always if, if, if, right? If my mum had balls, she would be my dad.
“It’s how it goes to racing. Sometimes it works out for you, sometimes it doesn’t.”
McLaren’s job now is to turn the sometimes into more times.
Additional reporting by Filip Cleeren and Ronald Vording.
Watch: F1 2024 Miami GP Review – Lando Seizes his Historic Maiden Win
The last time we saw Dimitrov, he was fighting off dizziness after an ultra-grueling quarterfinal win over Francisco Cerundolo in a third-set tiebreaker. While he has had a day to recover, and Djokovic won his own quarterfinal on Thursday, Novak may still be the fresher player. Dimitrov has survived two marathons, while Djokovic hasn’t dropped a set in Miami so far. His serve has been a big part of that success. In his quarterfinal with Sebastian Korda, he made 83 percent of his first deliveries.
“The whole tournament I’ve been serving really well, and I needed it,” Djokovic said.
WATCH: Djokovic grades his performance against Korda
But if Dimitrov feels rested and ready, he does have a chance. Last year he beat Carlos Alcaraz and made the final here. And while Djokovic has won eight straight sets, we still don’t know exactly where his level is, or where he is in his partnership with Andy Murray. He didn’t win a match between the Australian Open and Miami, and none of his wins this week have come against a Top 15 opponent. He still seems like someone who is searching for his top gear.
That said, a 12-1 head-to-head is tough to get around. Yes, Dimitrov has improved his serve, and he can disrupt his opponents with his one-handed backhand. But whatever he does, it doesn’t work against Djokovic. Winner: Djokovic—Steve Tignor
👉 Click here for more news on the Miami Open.
Miami, FL
Frost School of Music and University of Miami Alumni Raquel Sofía, Carter Vail, Bacilos, Will Lee, Ashley Pezzotti, and Dawnn Lewis Join Lineup Set to Perform at the University’s Centennial Celebration Concert
The Free Concert Will Feature Special Appearances by University of Miami Alumni Athletes Yonder Alonso, Ray Bellamy, and Tamara James, With TV Host and Producer Jason Kennedy Serving as the Emcee for the Event
Dawnn Lewis
Bacilos
CORAL GABLES, Fla., March 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami announced the second set of distinguished alumni set to perform at the Centennial Celebration Concert on Tuesday, April 8: Raquel Sofía performing “Llorando En Una Bici;” Carter Vail performing “Harder to Kill;” Bacilos performing “Tabaco Y Chanel;” Will Lee performing Jaco Pastorius’ “Liberty City;” Ashley Pezzotti performing “September in the Rain (C);” and Dawnn Lewis leading everyone in a special happy birthday-themed medley. These artists will join the previously announced set of Frost School alumni performers: Bruce Hornsby performing “The Way it Is;” Jon Secada performing “Just Another Day;” Ben Folds performing “Theme from ‘Dr. Pyser;’” Pat Metheny performing a medley of “Have You Heard” and “Are You Going with Me;” Joshua Henry performing “The Room Where it Happens” from “Hamilton;” and Idarose performing “Glimpse of Us.”
The concert will be emceed by University alumnus and renowned TV host and producer, Jason Kennedy, and feature special appearances by Miami Hurricanes greats, including Yonder Alonso, who played baseball with the Hurricanes and was the 2008 All-American First-Round MLB Draft Pick; Ray Bellamy, who played football with the Hurricanes and was the University’s first Black scholarship student-athlete; Lauryn Williams, who ran track for the Hurricanes and is a three-time Olympic medalist; Randal Hill, who played football with the Hurricanes and was the first-round NFL draft pick in 1991; and Tamara James, who played basketball for the Hurricanes and was the first-round WNBA draft pick in 2006.
Dean Shelton G. (“Shelly”) Berg of the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami said, “It’s only fitting that we celebrate the University of Miami’s centennial with a stage full of Frost School of Music and other University of Miami alumni who’ve helped further establish the legacy of our school over the course over the last several decades. Together, they embody our strong alumni network–talented individuals who have honed their craft in our classrooms, studios, fields and tracks; achieved remarkable success; and made a lasting impact on the world. The power and prestige of the ‘U’ is widely known and recognized across the globe – and it’s come alive here in Miami tonight!”
Elon Musk to give talk in Wisconsin ahead of closely watched state Supreme Court contest: 'Super important'
Dangerous fungus spreading in US hospitals has ‘rapidly increased'
Broadway actress faces criticism for reading national anthem lyrics from phone during performance before game
ClickFix malware tricks you into infecting your own Windows PC
Trump executive order targets the Smithsonian over 'divisive, race-centered ideology'
-
News1 week agoVance to Lead G.O.P. Fund-Raising, an Apparent First for a Vice President
-
News1 week agoTrump Administration Ends Tracking of Kidnapped Ukrainian Children in Russia
-
Business1 week agoEgg Prices Have Dropped, Though You May Not Have Noticed
-
Technology1 week agoChip race: Microsoft, Meta, Google, and Nvidia battle it out for AI chip supremacy
-
World1 week agoCommission warns Alphabet and Apple they're breaking EU digital rules
-
News1 week agoTrump’s Ending of Hunter Biden’s Security Detail Raises Questions About Who Gets Protection
-
News1 week agoZelenskyy says he plans to discuss Ukraine ceasefire violations in a call with Trump
-
Movie Reviews1 week ago‘Novocaine’ Movie Review – InBetweenDrafts