Red Bull's Miami Step Forward: Verstappen Says 'We're Getting There'

Red Bull's performance in Miami marked a clear turning point after a difficult start to the season. Max Verstappen qualified just 0.166 seconds off pole – a dramatic improvement from the 1.2-second gap in Japan. While he spun on lap one and recovered to fifth, team principal Laurent Mekies called it "a definitive step forward." The upgrade package worked, but Red Bull knows it hasn't closed the gap to Mercedes, McLaren, and Ferrari yet.

Why it matters:

Red Bull entered 2025 as defending champions but quickly fell behind the three front-runners, often being the fourth fastest team. In Miami, they were back in the mix for pole and had race pace to fight for P3-P5. Sustaining this progress is crucial for Verstappen's title hopes and the team's morale, especially with rivals continuing to develop their cars.

The details:

• Qualifying turnaround: Red Bull's gap to pole shrank from over a second in the first three rounds to just 0.166s in Miami. The team was the closest challenger to Mercedes, which took pole with Kimi Antonelli.
• Upgrade package: A comprehensive update – including new floor, engine cover, sidepod inlets, front and rear wings – delivered as expected, per technical director Pierre Wache. The improvements addressed the car's narrow operating window.
• Hadjar's struggles: Teammate Isack Hadjar had a nightmare weekend – well off Verstappen's pace, excluded from qualifying for illegal floorboards (having qualified only 14th anyway), and crashed out on lap five of the race.
• Race pace: Verstappen's 44-second deficit is misleading. After spinning on lap one, he pitted under an early safety car and emerged 16th, then completed a 51-lap stint on hard tires with 10 overtakes. Mekies confirmed the race pace was strong enough for a top-five fight.
• Team reaction: "We knew there was lap time in it," Mekies said. "To see us qualifying six tenths away from pole on Friday and less than two tenths away on Saturday is a big indication of the size of the progress."

What's next:

Red Bull has more upgrades planned, including weight-saving components that may be introduced near the Austrian Grand Prix in late June. Mekies cautioned: "We have not cracked everything we wanted. The development race will be on and the competition will bring stuff in the next race." If Red Bull can continue improving, they could soon become a regular podium contender – but the top step remains a challenge.