The Florida humidity always has a way of exposing the cracks in a team's foundation, but for Max Verstappen and Red Bull, the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix 2026 is finally starting to feel like a turning point.
After a disappointing start to the season that saw the four-time World Champion uncharacteristically buried in the midfield, a suite of floor and suspension refinements brought to the Hard Rock Stadium seems to have arrested the RB22's slide.
Friday's Sprint Qualifying in Miami offered the first genuine glimmer of hope for the Milton Keynes. Max Verstappen felt Red Bull had closed the gap to Formula 1 rivals at the Miami Grand Prix and he could trust his car more.
The four times world champion, a two times winner in Miami, qualified fifth on Friday for theSaturday sprint race.
Verstappen has been unhappy with Formula One's new rules era, even mulling his future in the sport, and has yet to finish higher than sixth in three races and a sprint so far this season.
"It feels a bit more normal, a bit more together," the Dutch driver said of his upgraded car ahead of the first race in more than a month.
"There are still, of course, things we are working on, but it's been a really positive step for us. The last few races, we were like over a second behind. I would say we have almost halved that gap now, so that's very positive."
Verstappen's best lap time on Friday was 0.592 slower than McLaren's pole sitter Lando Norris, the champion who took Verstappen's title last year. His French teammate Isack Hadjar qualified ninth, 1.553 off the pole lap.
However, despite the progress, the road back to the top remains steep. Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli and George Russell still hold a pace advantage, and the heavily upgraded McLaren of Norris currently looks like the car to beat.
Miami GP Sprint Qualifying Results:
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:28.723 | 1:29.366 | 1:27.869 | 15 |
| 2 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:29.312 | 1:29.209 | 1:28.091 | 14 |
| 3 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:29.169 | 1:28.506 | 1:28.108 | 11 |
| 4 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:28.733 | 1:28.333 | 1:28.239 | 15 |
| 5 | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:29.801 | 1:29.093 | 1:28.461 | 12 |
| 6 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:29.659 | 1:28.903 | 1:28.493 | 15 |
| 7 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:29.255 | 1:28.841 | 1:28.618 | 15 |
| 8 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:30.386 | 1:29.527 | 1:29.320 | 15 |
| 9 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | 1:30.352 | 1:29.750 | 1:29.422 | 15 |
| 10 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:29.984 | 1:29.973 | 1:29.474 | 15 |
| 11 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 1:30.561 | 1:29.994 | - | 12 |
| 12 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 1:30.270 | 1:30.019 | - | 12 |
| 13 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 1:30.614 | 1:30.116 | - | 9 |
| 14 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:30.987 | 1:30.224 | - | 12 |
| 15 | 41 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1:30.872 | 1:30.573 | - | 9 |
| 16 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:31.043 | - | - | 5 |
| 17 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 1:31.245 | - | - | 6 |
| 18 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 1:31.255 | - | - | 3 |
| 19 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:31.322 | 1:30.216 | - | 6 |
| 20 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 1:31.826 | - | - | 6 |
| NC | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:41.311 | - | - | 6 |
(With inputs from Reuters)