"Heading into the right direction": Verstappen's assessment of Red Bull turnaround

Written by Maham Mir

Verstappen celebrating his second place start ahead of Sunday's Grand Prix | Credit: Formula One

Max Verstappen has claimed his first front-row start ahead of the 2026 Miami Grand Prix. After a difficult start to the season where the former four-time world champion has failed to qualify or finish in the top three, the Red Bull driver has finally experienced a change in fortune.

Like some of the other midfield and front-runner teams, Red Bull have brought a range of upgrades to Miami to add to their car. Verstappen heralded the effort of his team by identifying that they have “been pushing flat out” and to good effect as “the upgrades are working”. 

Despite the upgrade package, however, Verstappen alluded to the fact that his expectations for the car’s performance were still limited coming into this weekend. Speaking after the end of qualifying, he stated that “to be on the front row is a bit of a surprise”.

So far in 2026, Verstappen’s closest and most consistent on-track battle seems to have been with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. However with the addition of this new upgrade package, Red Bull have been able to “close the gap further” to the front-runner teams like McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes.  

One of the key reasons for this turnaround in performance for Verstappen has been because the car has become “more driveable” for the Dutchman. Throughout the first three rounds of the season, Verstappen’s radio messages were filled with complaints about the handling of the car however Miami seems to have been a step forward in the right direction.

With the threat of rain looming over Sunday’s Grand Prix, Verstappen chances of standing on the top step of the podium are inherently intertwined with the weather. The Dutchman, who already enjoys a successful record in Miami, is known for his skills in wet weather conditions and this could prove another excellent opportunity to add to his tally of race wins. 

Discussing his prospects for the race with his first visit to the podium in 2026 being a real possibility, Verstappen stated: “tomorrow will be a completely different day”. He further added that “I’m already very happy with where we are”. 

There can be no doubt that the Dutch lion will give it his all regardless of weather conditions to try and put his Red Bull at the front of the field. Only time will tell if he is successful in his aims this weekend or if the return of Red Bull to the front of the pack will have to wait until next time out in Canada.