McLaren’s Slump at US GP Caused by a Few Millimeters Shift—How Missed Data and Ride Height Cost Them the Win
McLaren’s disappointing drop in performance at the 2025 United States Grand Prix can be traced to one crucial technical detail: a few millimeters higher ride height, chosen out of caution due to a lack of sprint race data.
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Key insights from the report:
- McLaren’s Norris and Piastri collided in the sprint at Turn 1, forcing both out and denying the team any long-run setup data needed for Sunday’s main race.
- The Circuit of the Americas’ bumpy surface poses a high risk of car floor damage due to “bottoming out.” Without actual sprint data, McLaren was forced to run a more conservative (higher) ride height to avoid penalties and damage.
- Even a few millimeters difference dramatically impacts F1 performance. McLaren’s ride height setting cost them roughly 0.15 seconds per lap and reduced downforce, according to Auto Motor und Sport.
- Over 56 laps this translated to about 8.4 seconds lost—the exact margin by which Norris finished behind Verstappen.
Other contributing factors:
- Norris was stuck behind Leclerc’s Ferrari for 51 laps due to turbulent “dirty air,” only passing late when Verstappen was too far ahead.
- Ferrari’s one-off use of soft tires at the start gave Leclerc the edge—McLaren had not even considered that option.
- Piastri’s weekend was further marred by post-contact setup troubles and unexplained loss of top speed (up to 13 km/h slower than Norris in sector 1), possibly due to unseen car damage.
Championship Impact:
- Piastri’s lead dropped from 63 to 40 points over Verstappen; Norris’s dropped from 41 to 26 points.
- McLaren finished second (Norris) and fifth (Piastri), but the tiniest setup detail—just millimeters—was decisive.
In F1, missing out on strategic testing data can force conservative setup decisions, costing vital performance and reshaping the title fight. McLaren’s gamble on ride height, driven by data scarcity after the sprint crash, was a literal “millimeter” mistake with championship-scale consequences.
