Red Bull leaves the Miami Grand Prix weekend with a few more certainties, but without making bold declarations about its immediate Formula 1 prospects. Max Verstappen’s fifth-place finish represented the team’s best result of the 2026 Formula 1 season so far, even if the Dutch driver’s early spin compromised what could potentially have become a much stronger result.
The Miami weekend nevertheless provided encouraging signals for Red Bull, especially after a difficult opening phase of the championship in which the RB22 struggled to consistently challenge the leading teams.
Team principal Laurent Mekies highlighted the progress made over a single lap compared to the opening races of the year.
“Compared to the first races, the gap to pole position has reduced significantly,” Laurent Mekies explained.
According to the French manager, the upgrade package introduced in Miami helped improve the RB22’s behavior, particularly regarding driver confidence and overall feeling with the car.
The changes appeared to make the Red Bull package more predictable and stable, two areas that had generated concerns during the early rounds of the season as the team attempted to better understand the new technical regulations.
Despite the progress, however, Red Bull does not yet believe it has returned to the same level as the front-running teams.
Laurent Mekies openly admitted: “The pace was good, but not enough to fight for the top two positions.”
Without Max Verstappen’s mistake during the race, a podium finish may have been achievable, but battling for victory still appears to be a very different challenge altogether. Max Verstappen himself also preferred to remain cautious when evaluating Red Bull’s current situation.
“We are moving in the right direction, but we are still not where we want to be,” the four-time Formula 1 world champion admitted. Those comments reflect the broader feeling inside the Red Bull camp: Miami offered positive signs, but not yet definitive proof that the team has fully solved its competitiveness issues.
The Canadian Grand Prix will now become a crucial test for the Milton Keynes-based squad. Montreal presents a very different challenge compared to Miami, with heavier braking zones, lower average cornering speeds and distinct aerodynamic requirements. The task could become even more complicated considering both McLaren and Mercedes are expected to introduce further updates during the upcoming phase of the season.
That means Red Bull’s recovery effort is only just beginning.
While the RB22 appears to have taken an important step forward in terms of balance and drivability, the overall performance gap to McLaren and Mercedes has not yet disappeared. The leading teams still appear to possess an advantage, particularly regarding consistency across an entire race weekend. For Red Bull, the objective now is to transform the encouraging data gathered in Miami into stable competitiveness on different types of circuits. One strong weekend alone will not be enough to re-enter the title fight on a consistent basis.
Still, Miami may ultimately prove important as the first real indication that Red Bull’s development direction is beginning to work.
The next races will determine whether this was simply a temporary improvement — or the genuine beginning of a comeback campaign led once again by Max Verstappen.
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