Verstappen wary of McLaren’s tyre edge despite Miami GP pole: "We're all doing something wrong"

Verstappen Cautious Despite Miami GP Pole: "McLaren Doing Tyres Better Than All of Us"

Red Bull star highlights tyre wear concerns after McLaren surge in Miami sprint

Despite clinching pole position for the 2025 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, Max Verstappen is heading into Sunday’s race with caution. The reigning world champion admits McLaren's superior tyre management may prove decisive over the course of the 57-lap contest at the Miami International Autodrome.

Verstappen edged out Lando Norris by just 0.065 seconds in qualifying, with Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli just 0.002s behind Norris in third. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri completed the top four, capping a closely contested session where Red Bull's dominance was anything but guaranteed.

Tyre Wear: The Red Bull Weakness?

While Verstappen praised his front-row start, he was quick to point to issues beneath the surface. The key concern? Tyre degradation, particularly after Saturday’s wet-to-dry sprint race, where both McLarens pulled away from Verstappen once the intermediates began to overheat.

“As soon as those tyres start to overheat, [McLaren] have a huge advantage. So, then we are all doing something wrong with the tyres, apart from McLaren,” Verstappen said.

This echoes problems Red Bull experienced earlier in the season, particularly in Melbourne, where McLaren also demonstrated strong tyre preservation and race pace.

📉 Honda Engine Woes & Power Trade-offs

Verstappen further noted that his Honda power unit, which has logged high mileage, might leave him vulnerable on Miami’s long straights.

"It does quite make a difference this weekend,” he admitted, referencing the performance drop-off from engine wear.

🛠️ Red Bull’s Floor Upgrade: Too Early to Judge?

This weekend, Verstappen was the only Red Bull driver to run with the new floor specification, which aimed to recover downforce, particularly in low-speed corners. While initial signs were promising, Verstappen wasn’t fully convinced by the data due to Miami’s “weird” grip profile and corner geometry.

“On this track, it's always very difficult to really judge something… I think we'll know more when we go to Imola,” he added, referencing the next round on the F1 calendar.

🔭 Looking Ahead to Sunday

Miami’s layout, featuring a powerful DRS zone and multiple low-speed corners, has historically exposed Red Bull’s minor vulnerabilities. Though overtaking is possible, the expected one-stop strategy will limit pit lane opportunities to recover from on-track errors or tyre drop-off.

“We thought this would be a tricky one… with the slow-speed corners and kerbstones you have to attack. That’s normally not our strongest point,” Verstappen concluded.

🏁 Starting Grid – Top 5 (Miami GP)

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

2. Lando Norris (McLaren)

3. Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)

4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

With McLaren on the ascendancy and tyre strategy under the microscope, Verstappen’s path to victory on Sunday may depend less on raw pace and more on precision tyre management — an area where McLaren currently holds the upper hand.

Follow The Horizons Times for post-race analysis, full results, and insight into the season’s next stop at Imola.