A 360-degree spin, a five-second time penalty for an illegal pitlane exit, and an eventual fifth-place finish from the front row does not sound like a good weekend for Max Verstappen on the surface of it.
But the four-time world champion packed up from Miami in jovial fashion, even joking he might have a future in rallying after his dramatic spin on lap one. Gone, at least for now, were the grumblings about the regulation overhaul for this season.
He may only be a lowly seventh place in the drivers’ standings, but it could be that Miami proves the pivotal moment in Verstappen and Red Bull Racing’s 2026 campaign.
Red Bull is no stranger to drama within its four walls and there had been plenty in the opening few races: notably threats of Verstappen’s departure, as well as the exodus of his influential right-hand man Gianpiero Lambiase to arch rivals McLaren.
But in Florida, the mood was of a far happier camp with the team once again showing their impressive propensity for in-season development by having used the enforced five-week hiatus to rectify some gremlins with the RB22.
It helped that Verstappen finally felt like he had a car he could believe in after a raft of upgrades for race four. Those included a new floor, a revised engine cover, a changed front wing and the introduction of the innovative “Macarena” front wing first seen on track by Ferrari. In addition, its engineers have dramatically cut the weight of the car.
The biggest alteration, in Verstappen’s eyes, was unseen: a rebuild of the steering column. It had been an issue since Bahrain winter testing, but it was one thing trying to identify the problem and another to find the right fix. Both were achieved in the break from the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races being canned amid the ongoing unrest in the Middle East.
Suddenly, he was able to go from an also ran to being a genuine contender for pole position in Miami qualifying. No wonder, he called it an “incredible turnaround” having for the first time this season finally felt like he was in control of the car – his rare error of that 360 aside.
Red Bull have been on a PR offensive in the lead-up to Miami inviting journalists to their Milton Keynes base and pushing the message they are not a busted flush after their heroic turnaround of last season.
Team principal Laurent Mekies was forced to hit back saying in one interview, “We are not a sinking ship” before adding, “we’re going to succeed, just beware”. At the time, it seemed an overly bullish statement bearing in mind their pre-Miami position. After the weekend, it is far less fanciful.
And what of Verstappen? He didn’t drive in the manner of a man looking to exit the F1 grid, getting his elbows out with some very physical racing, sufficiently so for Carlos Sainz to accuse him of doing “whatever he wants” on track.
The regulation changes for Miami regarding engine harvesting and deployment in response to driver complaints do not go far enough in his eyes – he referred to them as “a tickle” – but it is at least a step in the right direction.
And having been an advocate for a return to the V8 engines, he will have been buoyed by the comments of FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem that they will be returning in 2031.
Red Bull are not naive enough to everything has been solved. There are still issues with the RB22 but the chassis is heading in the right direction, while the team’s first in-house power unit under Ben Hodgkinson’s watch has clearly been a success.
It has led some to argue it is the quickest on the grid although Mekies is adamant it is two to three tenths of a second a lap down on that of Mercedes.
Red Bull now have a further two-and-a-half weeks to remedy their gremlins further before the next race in Canada. They have not suddenly turned into title winners overnight but, having come back from a 100-plus point deficit last season, count them and Verstappen out at your peril.