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Max Verstappen's Miami weekend was his best of the season by some distance. The Red Bull updates appeared to work, the car felt manageable for the first time in 2026, and Verstappen spent the whole weekend with a smile that did not leave his face. Part of that had nothing to do with the car.
The Family in the Pitbox
Kelly Piquet was there, as she often is. But this weekend also brought Verstappen's mother Sophie Kumpen, his sister Victoria, and Victoria's two young sons. The family spent the sessions in the Red Bull pitbox and were caught on camera repeatedly, with Verstappen's young nephews drawing particular attention, especially after qualifying when they immediately wanted to know how their uncle had done.
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Verstappen was asked about the effect of having them there and was straightforwardly happy about it. "I genuinely do not see them very often. So it is really nice that we can make such a good weekend of it like this." He was also teased about a stat that apparently holds up: he tends to perform well when his sister Victoria is trackside. He laughed at the suggestion and played along. "She will say the same thing herself of course. Then she can come along much more often. But yes, I genuinely enjoy it when they are there."
A Weekend That Showed Something
On track, Verstappen qualified second and made a genuine attempt to take the lead at the start, going around the outside of Antonelli into turn two. A small spin undid the attempt, but he recovered quickly and fought through the field to finish fifth. A five-second penalty for crossing the white line at the pit exit did not change the classified result. By the standards of his first three weekends of 2026, fifth place and competitive pace represented real progress.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
I. Hadjar
A. Antonelli
C. Leclerc
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