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Acceleration is the situation in which they don’t excel, assuming that the MTB tyre is heavier than the gravel tyre (not always the case). But this is not specific to the surface.
Casing stiffness is not necessarily higher on MTB tyres. See Race King, Thunder Burt, etc.
You could say that more volume is actually slower at speed, as aerodynamics are the limiting factor in increasing tyre size. But the other benefits offset aerodynamics for gravel speeds and surfaces. On the road it seems that 32c is going to be the upper threshold for racing at higher speeds on smooth surfaces. Pog rides 30c tyres, measuring 32mm, in almost every road race now. But this may still increase as wheels and frame clearances get wider and we better understand the impact of vibration on fatigue.
The consensus in racing and tyre testing seems to be converging: larger volume is universally faster until aerodynamics limit speed. It’s fair to mention that heavier tyres will accelerate less quickly, but that would only be slower if you measure speed over a very short duration. Over the duration of a multi-hour ride, you would make up for marginally slower acceleration in other areas, unless it was a bad route!
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snoops
@giofox
Don't think it's that simple.
Agree more volume with low rolling resistance is faster at speed and more comfortable/less fatiguing. Disagree this applies to any surface/ride/trail condition as a larger tyre will always be less snappy and slower to accelerate, not to mention casing stiffness.
Agree that ex-pro with access to whatever selection of gear they can will inevitably converge towards the fastest solution for the "gravel" race they have entered. Disagree this applies universally.