#honestly i'd be happy with p3 in the constructors this year after the shit show that was everything march 2021-july 2023

[landinrris]

Hey! I’m still buzzing over Lando’s win, but I’ve got a couple of questions. Before the race Andrea was saying this set of upgrades wouldn’t be as significant as the ones they brought to Austria last year, but they have more coming. Do you think it’s possible that McLaren could actually challenge for the constructors this year? Also they were also saying that Miami as a track doesn’t really suit the car. Why is that and which tracks do suit it?

God, I am also buzzing, and it still feels surreal tbh. Like wow, he finally did it 🥺😭

I saw a post saying Lando's upgrades looked to contribute around 4 tenths a lap (with Oscar's half giving around 2 tenths as well) which is wild. I don't remember what their gains were after Austria/Silverstone last year, but I do remember they were also massive (obviously. we were in the fucking trenches pre-Austria 2023).

I believe what Andrea primarily meant by saying Miami doesn't necessarily suit their car was because of the temperatures. It was very hot in Miami, and their rear tires still really struggle with the heat. It's why they tend to be good in the cooler temps (e.g., see China temperature differences between Saturday and Sunday). The formu1a.uno article I link below states that they specifically set up their car for lower speeds that are present in Miami as well (which has also traditionally been a problem area compared to circuits with higher speed corners so.... 👀).

What they brought to Miami was mostly aero and efficiency updates from what I understand. Part of where the hype comes from on my end is that the article I linked also mentions this update tries to get at their lower speed issues. There will always be further things to optimize and further develop in new ways, so that's what will likely be coming next. At one point towards the end of last year, I remember Andrea saying something about targeting some qualifying issues that those major upgrades last year brought out. I don't think they've addressed those yet, but also a potential further direction.

All in all though, I don't think there's any legitimate chance to challenge for P1 in the Constructors' this year. Max had a bit of floor damage following his run-in with the cone in Miami, so we don't know his true pace at the end (though, Oscar was keeping up with him for the first stint so 🤷‍♀️). Maybe there's a chance to challenge for P2. We should get a better idea about what Ferrari's doing when they bring their Imola updates in a week and a half. Ferrari always seems hit or miss with upgrades, so we'll see. McLaren will also take the next few races to really dial everything in, which they can luckily do now that we're done with sprint races for a bit. I feel like by Canada or Spain, we should get a better idea of what's going on championship-wise with the first half of the season.