Verstappen believes he has discovered the true secret to McLaren’s success—and it’s neither water-injected tires nor a flexible front wing, but rather the MCL39’s incredible speed through medium-speed corners. Compared to other cars, this machine’s pace is astonishing. Thanks to this advantage, the Woking team has claimed 11 wins in the first 14 races of the season, along with seven 1–2 finishes. They’ve racked up 559 points, leading second-place Ferrari by 299, making them overwhelming favorites to defend the Constructors’ Championship. The Drivers’ title will likely be decided between Norris and Piastri, who are separated by just nine points, while second-place Norris sits 88 points ahead of Verstappen.
Over the past 18 months, McLaren’s winning formula has been a hot topic in the paddock. Rivals—especially Red Bull—have questioned whether they used unconventional methods to cool their tires, giving them a clear advantage. In an attempt to prove foul play, Red Bull even used thermal cameras during pit stops to capture the temperature near McLaren’s rear wheels. However, after a series of FIA inspections, no irregularities were found. According to Verstappen, while McLaren’s minimal tire wear may give them some advantage, the real difference-maker is the MCL39’s pace in medium-speed corners. He explained that at the Hungaroring, McLaren was unbelievably quick in several medium-speed turns, capable of aligning with the apex earlier, with impressive rear-end traction on exit. If a car is the fastest through the entry, apex, and exit of medium-speed corners, it will face little challenge on track—something the RB21 simply lacks.
Although Piastri missed pole to Leclerc by just 0.026 seconds, Verstappen believes that even without a strategic edge in close battles, both Norris and Piastri can pass Leclerc on track. For example, on lap 60 of the race, both Piastri and Verstappen were running in clean air, yet Piastri was lapping 1.15 seconds faster. In the first sector, Verstappen’s higher top speed gave him a slight edge, but in the medium-speed-corner-heavy second sector, the gap widened quickly—especially in Turns 5, 8, 9, and the final three corners. GPS data shows McLaren carried more speed at the apex and could get on the throttle earlier. This confirmed Verstappen’s view: the MCL39 is far better balanced than the RB21 in medium-speed corners, with Verstappen losing 0.7 seconds in Turns 5, 8, and 9 alone. By comparison, slow corners rely more on mechanical grip, while high-speed corners depend more on aerodynamic downforce.
Medium-speed corners are the ultimate test of a car’s all-around performance because they require both grip and a balance between the front and rear axles that suits the driver. More precisely, the McLaren MCL39 operates in a sweet spot between understeer and oversteer, with high front-end precision on entry and stable rear-end behavior on exit. Under the current ground-effect regulations, such balance has been rare over the past four years—and it may even surpass the RB19’s. Their performance in Singapore could prove this assessment correct.
After months of unfounded accusations, Verstappen has finally pinpointed McLaren’s secret. As a four-time world champion, his judgment carries weight. He believes the RB21 is not slower than McLaren in high-speed corners like Silverstone’s Copse or Spa’s Pouhon, but it is significantly slower in medium-speed corners. With most of the remaining 10 races on the calendar featuring such corners, Verstappen admits this is why he feels powerless to catch McLaren.
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