Max Verstappen "no longer a passenger" as improved Red Bull yields Miami F1 front row
Max Verstappen says Red Bull's swift turnaround in Miami following a poor start to the 2026 season is "incredible", as the team rolled out upgrades that allowed the four-time world champion to push the RB22 instead of "being a passenger".
Red Bull looked to have missed the mark with a 2026 challenger that proved impossible to balance over the opening rounds of the season, leaving both Verstappen and new team-mate Isack Hadjar adrift of the frontrunners, and behind the likes of Haas in the constructors' standings.
But a deeper understanding of the RB22's inherent weaknesses and a first upgrade push in Miami have resulted in a car that appears much more poised.
In the hands of Verstappen that resulted in a first front-row start. The Dutchman's previous best 2026 qualifying effort before this weekend was eighth in Japan, although Hadjar did claim third on the grid at the opening round in Australia when several rival teams struggled to optimise their new power units.
After taking fifth in Saturday's sprint, Verstappen's final qualifying effort bumped him ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc to grab second behind triple polesitter Kimi Antonelli in the Mercedes , just two tenths off the Italian championship leader's benchmark.
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"So many things were not working up until this weekend," the four-time world champion explained his progress. "A few things have changed, and it made it a lot more comfortable to drive. I feel a lot more confidence and I don't feel like I'm a passenger anymore in the car.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
"That was already quite evident yesterday and then I think today the sprint was not too bad. We had some, you know, I could finally follow the cars ahead of me instead of them just pulling away and not seeing them again. And then some tiny changes for qualifying and it seemed like that helped again a little bit. To be on the front row coming from over a second behind in the previous race is really incredible. It's massive."
Verstappen hailed the team effort behind the scenes in Milton Keynes that was responsible for giving him a much more connected car, rather than a bucking bronco that could oversteer in one corner and understeer in the next.
"We were really not happy, of course, with what we were doing the previous races, but you can see everyone was pushing flat out to try and understand the problems and they have come with solutions," he praised his squad. "And that's just amazing to see. Amazing team effort."
He added: "Before, nothing really worked. I felt like a total passenger in the car. It could understeer. It could snap on me. It could feel different from one session to the other one without even touching parts. We're still not where we want to be in terms of understanding everything, but most of it. I can finally drive how I want to drive."
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The 2026 F1 Miami GP starting grid
Photos from Miami GP - Saturday
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
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Aston Martin F1 Team Garage
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Tribute to Alex Zanardi
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
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Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
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Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
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Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
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Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing
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Zak Brown, McLaren
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George Russell, Mercedes
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Lando Norris, McLaren
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
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Oscar Piastri, McLaren
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Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
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Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
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Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
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Lando Norris, McLaren
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Lando Norris, McLaren
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Lando Norris, McLaren
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Lando Norris, McLaren
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren
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Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
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Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing, Flavio Briatore, Alpine
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Tribute to the late Alex Zanardi
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Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing
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Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
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Franco Colapinto, Alpine
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Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
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Lando Norris, McLaren
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, George Russell, Mercedes
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
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Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren
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Oscar Piastri, McLaren
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Pierre Gasly, Alpine
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George Russell, Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
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Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
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Nico Hülkenberg, Audi F1 Team
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
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Lando Norris, McLaren
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Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
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Nico Hülkenberg, Audi F1 Team
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
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Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
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Lando Norris, McLaren
Ryan Pierse / Getty Images
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
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