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
Two active wildfires burning in Broward and Miami-Dade counties are reducing air quality and visibility across parts of South Florida Monday as firefighters continue working to contain the flames, according to the Florida Forest Service and other state and local agencies.
The fires are highlighted on Florida’s Active Wildfire Points map, an interactive tool that tracks current wildfires across the state and provides updated information on acreage burned and containment levels. You can check it out here:
Max Road Fire in Broward
The largest blaze, known as the Max Road Fire, was burning west of U.S. 27 and Pines Boulevard in western Broward County. Officials said the fire has scorched at least 5,000 acres as of Monday morning.
Smoke from the Max Road Fire was drifting north and northwest Monday morning due to a light southeast breeze.
Florida City fire in Miami-Dade
A second wildfire, called the 172nd Avenue Fire, is burning near Florida City in southern Miami-Dade County. Officials said the fire has burned at least 210 acres as of Monday morning.
Smoke from that fire remained relatively stagnant because of calm winds, though conditions later Monday could push smoke northward toward Leisure City and Homestead.
The 172nd Avenue Fire temporarily forced the closure of Card Sound Road and restricted access to the Florida Keys over the weekend, though the roadway has since reopened.
Authorities are still urging drivers to use caution in the area because heavy smoke could continue reducing visibility. Residents across South Florida are also being advised to monitor local air quality conditions as firefighters work to bring both blazes under control.
Florida dry season fuels wildfire risk
Florida is currently in its dry season, a period that typically runs from October through May and brings an increased risk of wildfires across the state.
According to the Florida Forest Service, peak wildfire season usually occurs during April, May and June, when dry vegetation, low humidity and windy conditions can help fires spread quickly.
The National Weather Service said ongoing drought conditions and low relative humidity have elevated wildfire danger across much of Florida in recent weeks. Officials are urging residents to avoid outdoor burning and remain alert as firefighters continue battling dozens of active wildfires statewide.
Getty
(Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM )
The Miami Dolphins are in the middle of a rebuild under new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. This offseason, Sullivan cut ties with players like Tyreek Hill and Tua Tagovailoa and then traded away Jaylen Waddle.
Moreover, the team brought in former Green Bay Packers QB Malik Willis, drafted Kadyn Proctor in Round 1, and selected several pass catchers to help their new signal-caller. Miami also drafted Jacob Rodriguez to be their leader on that side of the football, potentially.
While there’s still more work to be done, Sullivan has laid the foundation for what he hopes will turn the Dolphins into a contender in the AFC. Nonetheless, one person who is fully on board with what Miami has done this offseason is former Dolphins wideout Jarvis Landry.
“I love the [Proctor] pick,” Landry said in a May video from “4th And South.“ Miami Dolphins, the GM, hey, he’s doing amazing. He is doing amazing. I’m excited to see how [the Proctor pick] works out. Malik Willis will get some protection up front. I still want to see them add more firepower on the edges, maybe even at tight end, and keep building.
“They added pieces on the defensive side of the ball during the offseason, including a couple of cornerbacks and safeties and things like that. But I would love to see them get Malik Willis a couple more weapons on the outside to do his thing [as] Jaylen Waddle left [and] Tyreek left.“
Jarvis Landry Excited About Miami’s Future
Moreover, Landry provided an exciting outlook for Miami under Sullivan as the general manager is only getting started in molding the Dolphins in his vision, especially with the draft capital that the team had in this past draft.
“I think the city of Miami is excited,” Landry added. “With all of these draft picks and the draft capital Miami acquired, and don’t forget, they traded back and got more value and more picks [in this past draft]. I think they’re the only team to have this many picks in this year’s draft, which is probably a record.“
Dolphins Were Reportedly Looking at a Veteran Wideout
While Landry would like for the Dolphins to add another receiver, they were reportedly trying to do that. On May 8, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter shared that Miami was one of the teams interested in signing Jauan Jennings before he made his decision to sign with the Minnesota Vikings.
“The interesting thing is I was told that there were a few other teams,” Schefter said during a May 8 appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show.” “I can go back and get the exact list. I think it was the Dolphins, the Commanders. There was somebody else that was interested.
“The Vikings were the only team, I believe he wound up visiting at all. That was the only one. The other teams, the Chiefs and Commanders also were interested in Jauan Jennings. New Orleans also expressed a little interest.”
Now, for the Dolphins, it will be interesting to see whether they look at other veteran wideouts who might be a good fit, especially as a mentor for the group.
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
Highest ceiling: Proctor. There’s a reason they drafted him in the first round. If he loses 25 pounds, he can be a multi-time first team All Pro. But he has to put the work in and not be lazy.
Lowest ceiling: Caleb Douglas. Don’t see him fixing his drops. But I hope he proves me wrong.
Best overall pick: Jacob Rodriguez. Guy will be a sideline to sideline tackling machine.
Best value pick: Kyle Louis. He should have went in the 3rd round and will be a major contributor.
Best pick no one else sees as great…yet: Seydou Traore. The more tape I watch on this guy at Mississippi State, the more I like. If he refines his route running and hands, he could be our starting TE in 2 or 3 years.
Biggest reach pick: Caleb Douglas. See above. He should have went in the 5th, maybe 6th.
Biggest missed opportunity: Not drafting Bain. I sure hope those short arms limit him in the NFL. Now the guy has a huge chip on his shoulder and is pissed at the 14 teams that passed on him, including Miami. The guy was a menace in college. I’m not looking forward to facing the Bucs in the future.
-
Florida38 seconds agoSouth Florida officers sue Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, claiming details in ‘The Rip’ are too real
-
Georgia7 minutes agoGeorgia Democrats seek answers from Justice Department over Fulton election worker subpoena
-
Hawaii13 minutes agoMan killed while changing tire after crash in South Kohala
-
Idaho19 minutes agoDelicious New Menu Item Expected To Hit Idaho Costcos Soon
-
Illinois25 minutes agoPPP Loan Scandal Busts Joliet Woman Working For Illinois Department Of Corrections: AG Kwame Raoul Reveals
-
Indiana31 minutes agoFernando Mendoza, citing Raiders obligations, misses Indiana’s White House visit
-
Iowa37 minutes agoIowa City police seek help identifying persons of interest in vandalism investigation
-
Kansas43 minutes agoBoeing makes $1 billion investment in Wichita facility