Experts James Hinchcliffe and Jolyon Palmer view McLaren's major car upgrade for the Miami Grand Prix—announced by team principal Andrea Stella—as a possible season restart, given the team's Miami dominance and rivals' improvements.
Building on Andrea Stella's confirmation of an almost entirely new McLaren car for the Miami Grand Prix, following the Bahrain and Saudi cancellations and regulatory tweaks, pundits are buzzing about a competitive shake-up. On the F1 Nation Podcast, former IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe called it 'almost like a restart to the season,' noting all top teams' upgrades, McLaren's wins in the past two Miamis, and Mercedes' historical speed there—including Kimi Antonelli's strong showing last year. Co-host Jolyon Palmer highlighted McLaren's deliberate targeting of Miami, akin to Lando Norris' past breakthrough win with a big package. He pointed to McLaren's early-season gap, the break's benefits for practice and adaptation, and Miami as the true test for title contention.
