McLaren Gear Ratios
It is well known that McLaren are running shorter gear ratios compared with the works Mercedes team.
This has a direct effect on both top speed and acceleration out of slow corners. So, what does the data actually show?
T1 & T2 — Minimum Speed
Driver | Speed | RPM |
|---|---|---|
Norris | 112 km/h | 10,577 |
Antonelli | 106 km/h | 9,157 |
Verstappen | 108 km/h | 8,113 |
The large drop in RPM for Verstappen is explained by his use of 3rd gear, while Norris and Antonelli were both using 2nd.
But the more interesting comparison comes at the fastest point of the track, between T3 and T4.
Top Speed — Between T3 & T4
Driver | Top Speed | RPM |
|---|---|---|
Norris | 334 km/h | 12,174 |
Antonelli | 327 km/h | 11,165 |
Verstappen | 326 km/h | 11,616 |
And there it is.
Norris reaches 334 km/h while taking the Mercedes power unit to 12,174 RPM — significantly higher than the works team.
That shorter gearing gives McLaren an obvious advantage in acceleration and helps Norris reach a higher top speed — but there is a price to pay.
The big question ahead of the race is whether this strategy is sustainable over long runs.
We’ll find out tomorrow.
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Who Is the Fastest Through La Monumental?
The landmark corner of Madring — the heavily banked T12 — presents a unique challenge on the F1 calendar.
The table below shows the top speeds recorded at the end of the banked section:
T 12 | |
|---|---|
Verstappen | 280 km/h |
Norris | 276 km/h |
Antonelli | 274 km/h |
The estimated time delta between the top three is only around 0.1 seconds, making this one of the closest battles on the circuit.
But speed is only part of the story.
The load on the front-left tyre through this long, heavily banked corner is higher than anywhere else on the calendar. According to Pirelli, T12 could be the corner where the race strategy is decided.
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How Much Time Did Norris Lose in the Last Corner?
According to the World Champion, he almost crashed into the wall at the final corner — and here is how much time he lost to his direct rivals:
Driver | Speed | RPM |
|---|---|---|
Norris | 121 km/h | 9,692 |
Antonelli | 133 km/h | 9,899 |
Verstappen | 135 km/h | 11,341 |
The estimated time loss is approximately 0.270s compared with Antonelli and 0.200s compared with Verstappen — and Norris still managed to take Pole Position. 🏎️⏱️
We can only speculate what his advantage would have been if he had taken the final corner cleanly…
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