What ‘everyone’ in the F1 paddock is now saying about McLaren’s car after Miami Grand Prix dominance

McLaren had arguably their most dominant weekend of the 2025 season so far at the Miami Grand Prix.

The Woking squad secured 1-2 finishes in the Sprint and the main race, marking three for the season across all races. Oscar Piastri extended his championship lead to 16 points with his fourth win of the season and third in a row.

While neither the Aussie nor Lando Norris claimed pole position in either race – Kimi Antonelli in the Sprint and Max Verstappen on Sunday – McLaren made up the ground to display their dominance on the field.

While Norris’ win in the Sprint was slightly fortuitous with the late safety car, the Miami Grand Prix was a whitewash. Piastri passed Verstappen for the lead after an entertaining battle, with Norris doing the same laps later before the pair shot off into the distance.

Jenson Button compared Piastri to Lewis Hamilton with his performance in Miami as he beat teammate Norris by just under five seconds. McLaren’s nearest rival George Russell was almost 40 seconds down the road come the chequered flag, highlighting just how dominant the team are in 2025.

The Miami Grand Prix proved to ‘everyone’ in the F1 paddock that McLaren are ‘miles ahead’

The Woking outfit came into the season as the clear favourites. Fresh off of winning their first constructors’ title in 26 years last year, McLaren looked a shoe in to win the drivers’ championship.

Helmut Marko felt McLaren were around three tenths ahead during pre-season testing in Bahrain. However, the team, particularly Norris, have repeatedly downplayed their advantage over the field.

Norris has found the MCL39 tricky to drive and its behaviour led many in the F1 paddock to have ‘no real consensus’ about where the team actually were. After Miami, according to The Race, ‘everyone’ has no doubt that McLaren are ‘miles ahead.’

“McLaren scoffs at suggestions that it has a dominant car. There’s no question that was the case at the Miami Grand Prix with a 1-2 in the Sprint and the main race,” they said in their latest YouTube video.

“So big was its advantage that nearest challenger George Russell was almost 40 seconds off the lead on Sunday.

“There has been no real consensus in the paddock ahead of Miami about just how much of an edge McLaren had.

“After Melbourne, everyone was talking about winning races by a country mile, but things have been a lot closer than expected more recently, like in Japan where Max Verstappen won and in Saudi Arabia where he should have won.

“Then Miami’s heat, its track layout and surface and the ease with which overtaking was possible left everyone in no doubt that the MCL39 is miles ahead.”

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McLaren’s bridged the largest gap to their nearest rivals in 2025 with Miami victory

The gap between Piastri and McLaren’s nearest rival Russell, as has often been the case this season, was more than double the pace deficit between the pair in Shanghai.

The Aussie’s victory in Miami was the largest gap McLaren have bridged all season. Of course, different track surfaces and conditions should be taken into account, but their five wins from six in 2025 highlight their alarming dominance on their rivals.

Red Bull are the only other winner of a Grand Prix besides McLaren with Verstappen’s stunning win at Suzuka. The Milton Keynes outfit are still encountering issues with the RB21, as Verstappen was furious over brake problems in Miami.

Marko says Red Bull have until Imola to bring upgrades onto the car, otherwise it will be ‘too late’ to catch up to McLaren. Verstappen’s new floor in Miami did little to challenge Piastri and Norris, casting doubt over whether he will be able to match them come the European season.