0
Max Verstappen finished fifth in Miami, which by the standards of his first three weekends of 2026 represented real forward movement. Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies came away from Florida with something he has not been able to say since before the season started: cautious optimism.
A Different Car to the One That Raced in Japan
Mekies was measured but clear when speaking to media including GPToday.net after the race. "Our car today is very different to five weeks ago in Japan, when we were 1.2 seconds off pole." That is a meaningful gap to close in a single development cycle, and the fact that Verstappen qualified second in Miami suggests the update package brought to Florida did what it was supposed to do.
Verstappen Glowing After Family Weekend in Miami: "I Do Not See Them Very Often"
Hadjar Settles in at Red Bull and Admits He Thought Hard About Verstappen's Teammates
"It is clear that we still have a lot of work to do, but when I look at our race pace and our qualifying times, I think we are on the right track," Mekies added. The tone was not triumphalist. Red Bull are still the fourth-fastest team and the race pace gap to Mercedes, McLaren, and Ferrari remains real. But the direction has changed, and that matters in a season where the previous direction was pointing firmly downward.
The Championship Picture Remains Difficult
Verstappen sits 76 points behind Antonelli after four races, and fifth place in Miami did not change the fundamental arithmetic of the title battle. A fifth world championship in 2026 is not a conversation Red Bull are having internally. What they are trying to do is rebuild race by race until the car is competitive enough to fight for wins again. The next test is Canada on 24 May, where the circuit characteristics are very different to Miami. Whether the progress made in Florida transfers to Montreal will tell them a great deal about whether the development direction is genuinely working or circuit-specific.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
I. Hadjar
A. Antonelli
C. Leclerc
982 members have this team as their favourite
Replies (0)
Login to reply