Red Bull experienced a remarkable revival during the recent Miami GP. While Max Verstappen’s team was still considered midfield in the opening races, Red Bull was significantly faster than the upper midfield in Florida. The Dutchman qualified on the front row on Saturday and was able to cautiously compete with the frontrunners in the race. Technical director Pierre Waché stated that Red Bull has finally been able to fix a persistent problem.
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Verstappen ultimately crossed the finish line in fifth place, although this was partly due to a spin in the opening lap, which caused him to fall back significantly. After that, he worked his way back up impressively; the midfield could offer little resistance to the notably competitive RB22. During the Dutch media session on Saturday, which FORMULE 1 Magazine also attended, he already explained that the latest upgrade package is paying off. “During the first round of the shakedown in Barcelona, I already said something was wrong; a problem in the steering rack,” said Verstappen. “That has finally been fixed and now I can steer normally again.”
Upgrade package
A relieved Pierre Waché confirmed after the race that the problem has been resolved. “It hasn’t been easy,” the Frenchman admitted to Autosport. “I am certainly disappointed with this result; it does not reflect the speed we actually had. But for the team, it’s good that we are competing for the prizes again.” Waché expected a comeback thanks to the new upgrade package, although he was – especially on Saturday – also surprised by Verstappen’s performance behind the wheel. “The package functions as intended, but that indirectly also led to a performance from Max that we perhaps did not see coming.”
In response to Verstappen’s feedback, Red Bull replaced the entire steering rack and some associated parts ahead of Miami. Why was this problem not addressed earlier? “First, we had to establish that there was a problem at all,” Waché explained. “Then we had to find the cause, and that takes time. Only then can you actually solve the problem. Sorry that it wasn’t fixed earlier,” he apologized to Verstappen. “We tried everything, but it didn’t work. Some parts also took a long time to arrive, but in the end, I think the mechanics did an excellent job.”
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Development race
Significant changes were also made elsewhere on the car. For example, Red Bull came up with its own ‘Macarena wing’ in Miami. The team noted that this concept differs from Ferrari’s and also has a completely different function. Verstappen’s spoiler rotates in the opposite direction. “I think we started developing it in November,” said Waché. “We tried to introduce it during the winter tests, and then in Melbourne, but we had some problems getting it to work. In Suzuka, we tried again, but we also ran into problems then. The development of such a part is a long process.”
It is now clear that the 2026 season will turn into a development battle. The question is when Red Bull will introduce its next upgrades to further close the gap to the frontrunners. Given the budget cap, however, the team cannot keep developing endlessly. “We still have to wait a bit – in Montreal, we are only taking a small step,” Waché responded. In the European season, there must be another large-scale upgrade package, which will also further reduce the weight of the RB22. “Yes, we will definitely make a big step,” the Frenchman confirmed finally. “I don’t know when, but we will at least reduce the weight further – maybe even before Austria.”
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