Brundle Applauds Verstappen's 'Genius' Spin Recovery in Miami Grand Prix

Max Verstappen's unexpected spin at the start of the Miami Grand Prix drew praise from former driver and Sky Sports analyst Martin Brundle, who described the recovery as a moment of "genius." The four-time champion spun at Turn 2 after being pinched by Charles Leclerc, but swiftly corrected the car and continued racing. He finished fifth, collecting ten points for Red Bull after a tough race.

Why it matters:

The incident highlights Verstappen's exceptional car control even in moments of error, while also revealing Red Bull's persisting race pace deficit. Despite a promising qualifying, the team struggled on the hard tire compound, leaving Verstappen unable to challenge for victory.

The details:

• Verstappen started second alongside polesitter Kimi Antonelli. At Turn 1, he ran side-by-side with Leclerc, who pressured him into Turn 2.
• Over-eager on the throttle, he spun but managed to avoid a crash. He quickly apologized to the team on the radio.
• He explained: "I lost the rear into Turn 2 and then tried to minimise the time loss with the 360. And then we opted to go early onto the hard tyre, but that hard tyre didn't work for us. I had no real pace and grip on that compound."
• Brundle wrote in his Sky Sports column: "Pinched to the Turn 2 apex by Leclerc, Verstappen was too eager on the throttle and looped around… Before that we saw some of his genius in the recovery."
• Verstappen conceded he likely would not have won even without the spin, citing a lack of pace compared to the leaders.

What's next:

Red Bull has shown improved pace over individual weekends, but Verstappen admits the car still lacks race performance. The team will need to address tire degradation and overall speed to return to winning ways. For Verstappen, the rare mistake and subsequent recovery serve as a reminder of his ability to adapt under pressure.