Ted Kravitz says McLaren’s US GP was ruined by ‘number one’ problem affecting Ferrari all season

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McLaren will be pleased that the constructors’ championship is already wrapped up after the United States Grand Prix.

It’s becoming clear over the past few races that McLaren’s decision to halt the development of their 2025 F1 car is beginning to catch up with them.

The constructors’ championship was won at the Singapore Grand Prix, a joint record for the most races remaining where a team has won the title.

However, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are still under threat from Max Verstappen as they try to clinch their first drivers’ championships.

Piastri hasn’t finished on the podium since Zandvoort, and Norris spent far too long trying to overtake Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari, ending his hopes of stopping Verstappen from winning for the third time in the last four races.

McLaren had a nightmare Sprint Race at the United States Grand Prix, with Norris and Piastri colliding and failing to finish the first lap as a result.

Norris managed to start and finish second in Sunday’s Grand Prix, but Piastri could only improve one position to fifth and never came close to matching Norris’ race pace.

Ted Kravitz has now shared why McLaren struggled so much at the Circuit of the Americas compared to their closest rivals, and it’s an issue that Ferrari will understand all too well.

READ MORE: All you need to know about McLaren F1 Team from team principal to engine

McLaren’s pace ruined by ride height issues at the United States Grand Prix, says Ted Kravitz

Kravitz was reporting on Ted’s Notebook after Sunday’s race and talking about why McLaren’s drivers finished second and fifth. He said: “Piastri was never anywhere near Hamilton. And it all began at the start of the weekend.

“Then it was made worse with an OK practice session. I mean, it was fine. It was all made worse for McLaren in the Sprint Race because of Oscar’s ill-judged move with Nico Hulkenberg at the front that hit him into Lando Norris, and because neither McLaren did the Sprint Race, they didn’t know how the car was going to be on its ride heights.

“They didn’t know how to set the ride height so as to be in the perfect position to be as close to the ground and get a nice downforce, but not wear away the legality plank.

“The piece of wood they have underneath the car to stop the car from running too close to the ground.

“So, they had to be conservative. McLaren had to raise the car up a little bit and give themselves some margin. So, performance just ebbed away.

“Red Bull, Max won the Sprint. They knew exactly where to suspend their car, where to run their car so that they’d be as close to the ground as possible, giving maximum downforce and not wear away the plank. They got it spot on.

“Ferrari got it spot on. Mercedes got it spot on. But McLaren had to take some margin. And that was problem number one.”

Kravitz also explained that McLaren’s lack of running meant that they didn’t know what the tyres were going to do, limiting their choices at the start of the race when Leclerc frustrated Norris on the soft tyres as he opted for the medium compound.

READ MORE: McLaren driver Oscar Piastri’s life outside F1 from height to girlfriend

How ride height has ruined Ferrari’s 2025 Formula 1 season

McLaren’s self-sabotage during the Sprint Race meant they had to be very conservative with their ride height to avoid excessive plank wear and a potential disqualification.

Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton know all about this, firstly, because they were both disqualified from the United States GP in 2023 for this reason, but also because the seven-time world champion was excluded in China earlier in the season for the same issue.

Leclerc missed out on victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix because Ferrari were worried about excessive plank wear and raised his car during his final stint.

It’s also why Hamilton has been asked to lift and coast throughout the season, to try and limit any plank issues.

Hamilton is known for wanting his car to be as low to the ground as possible, and even a new rear suspension hasn’t completely fixed Ferrari’s issues.

McLaren experienced what the Scuderia have gone through all year at COTA, and ultimately, it set both of their drivers back in their quest to win the championship.