Max Verstappen has revealed he is uncertain whether Red Bull’s recent update worked amid the team’s enormous gap to McLaren at the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix.
Red Bull introduced a new floor to Verstappen’s car alone last weekend, which is poised to be the precursor to a more extensive package that is due to arrive in Imola.
Despite the side having one practice session to dial in the change, Verstappen hustled his upgraded RB21 to pole position around the Miami International Autodrome.
But Verstappen recognised that the circuit’s unconventional layout made it hard to assess whether his package was an improvement on the spec Yuki Tsunoda drove.
“On this track it’s always very difficult to really judge something, because everything feels very weird here – both in terms of grip and also the corners are all very weird as well,” he said.
“I think we’ll know more when we go to Imola.
“We changed some small things going into qualifying and the car was turning a bit better.
“That’s positive, but obviously this is still not what we want or where we want to be. But it was actually better than expected.
“Before coming here to Miami, we thought this would be a tricky one with the slow-speed corners and kerbstones that you have to attack.
“That’s normally not our strongest point.”
Verstappen uncertain on Red Bull update
But while he pipped Lando Norris to achieve a third pole this season, Verstappen was powerless to stop the McLaren duo passing him and cruising to a dominant 1-2.
The Dutchman’s sizeable 40-second margin to Oscar Piastri has created scepticism in his mind about whether Red Bull’s revised floor has delivered the intended step.
Asked whether the update had worked, Verstappen told media including Motorsport Week: “If you look at the gap, not, but I don’t know.
“It’s very hard to say, we’ll keep working on it.”
Red Bull boss Christian Horner, however, suggested the team was prioritising an enhancement to the RB21’s capricious quirks rather than outright performance gains.
“I think it’s delivered a characteristic that we were looking for, and it’s part of a sequence of parts that will be introduced over [the] coming races,” he added.
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