Red Bull delivered a clear step at the Miami Grand Prix, according to team principal Laurent Mekies, who characterised the weekend as a genuine move forward for the RB22.

The car showed improved qualifying and race pace. It still lacked outright winning speed, but the trajectory looked healthier after a difficult early-season run.

Max Verstappen produced his best qualifying of 2026 with a front-row start. He nearly seized the lead, then spun on lap one, forcing a recovery drive.

He switched to an alternate strategy under the Safety Car, ran 51 laps on one tyre set, and finished fifth, banking useful points after the early error.

Timing data showed major qualifying gains since Suzuka. The deficit shrank from over one second to around six tenths on Friday and under two tenths on Saturday.

Mekies credited targeted upgrades and improved car understanding from a five‑week development block, which in turn lifted driver confidence and operational certainty.

Weaknesses remain. Straight-line speed is short, and Isack Hadjar’s crash on limited laps caused damage that compromised balance and disguised his potential.

Mekies remains confident Hadjar has the pace to compete once cleaner weekends allow the car and driver to show their true level.

The standings underline the task ahead: Red Bull sits fourth on 30 points, far behind McLaren’s 94 despite McLaren missing three races.

To convert momentum into results, Red Bull must sustain update throughput, protect correlation, and respond rapidly to rival development across coming events.

Miami provides encouragement, but consistent execution will determine whether the team can cut the remaining deficit to the front of the grid.

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Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.