Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies points out the RB22’s qualifying record at the 2026 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix as the “big indication” of its technical turnaround.
Max Verstappen seemed to be at ease with the RB22 for the first time in 2026 as he delivered a comparable result at the Miami International Autodrome, last weekend.
The four-time World Champion took P5 during the 100km Sprint race, and backed it up with a sensational front-row lock out with Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli for the Grand Prix on Sunday.
Mekies, who oversaw the Milton-Keynes-based team’s turnaround, mid-way last season, since assuming the role of Team Principal and CEO suggests that the team is now on a similar recovery path in F1’s latest era.
Red Bull were far off the pace of the leaders in the opening three rounds of the season, especially on one-lap pace.
The Frenchman highlighted how Verstappen’s qualifying record in Miami proves that the team has started unlocking massive chunks of pace from its package.
“Yes, there is a definitive step forward,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“We left Japan 1.2 seconds away from pole, China 1.0 seconds away from pole. The competition was not going to wait for us with their updates. So everybody has updated the car, but certainly we knew that on top of the development race, we had to solve some of our issues, and we knew there was lap time in it.
“So to see us this weekend qualifying six tenths away from pole on Friday and less than two tenths away from pole on Saturday is a big indication of the size of our progress.
“What number is the correct one? We don’t know, but compared to where we were, it’s something much better than anything we have been able to show this year.”
Max Verstappen could have been on the Miami GP podium – Laurent Mekies
Verstappen’s stellar qualifying effort quickly went awry on the first lap of the 57-lap race.
The Dutchman spun his RB22 and lost massive ground before recovering a steady rhythm. This forced Red Bull into an alternate strategy, boxing Verstappen for the Hards on Lap 6 till the end of the race.
And while Verstappen did salvage a solid P5 at the chequered flag, Mekies believes his driver was slated for at least a podium finish – further confirming the team’s progress.
“Then, the race, it will probably take the guys a few hours to extract the true race pace, given that we were very offset with the strategy with Max,” Mekies explained.
“But I think overall, big picture, again, race pace was strong, confirming the good sign shown in qualifying.
“Not strong enough for P1 and P2, but perhaps able to put us in a fight between P3, P4 and P5. So, again, some things that we had not shown so far this season, and it’s a credit to everyone back in Milton Keynes for such an important step forward.
“Don’t get me wrong, we have not cracked everything we wanted to. So, us against us, there is more we want to extract from our package — and then we are conscious that the development race will be on, and the competition will bring stuff next race.”
The Canadian GP weekend would be a crucial test for Red Bull with a more conventional tarmac and layout finally confirming whether or not the team has bounced back from its early season setbacks.
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