Red Bull’s Disappointing Performance in the Miami Grand Prix

The Miami Grand Prix saw Red Bull’s “discouraging” race pace fall short of expectations, with Max Verstappen finishing a distant fourth. Despite securing pole position on Saturday, Verstappen found himself powerless against McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri during the race.

A Disappointing Race for Verstappen

After a close encounter with Norris at the start that dropped him to sixth, Verstappen struggled to keep pace with the McLarens. He lamented a lack of grip that cost him around seven tenths per lap compared to his rivals, and was unlucky to lose third place to George Russell during a mid-race virtual safety car.

Despite switching to harder tyres, Verstappen couldn’t overtake Russell in the second stint, ultimately finishing 40 seconds behind Piastri who claimed his third consecutive win.

Marko’s Post-Race Analysis

Speaking to Motorsport.com after the race, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko expressed his disappointment with the team’s performance in race trim. “The main conclusion is we are too slow,” he said. “We saw when they were driving flat out, we are seven tenths of a second behind. We saw the real speed for the first time.

Marko admitted that the seven-tenth deficit to McLaren was “discouraging”. He added, “We have to find some performance straight away, but it was discouraging how quick the s really are.

Red Bull’s Future Upgrades

Red Bull is expected to introduce further upgrades at the next race in Imola following the introduction of a new floor for Verstappen. However, Marko acknowledged that overcoming McLaren‘s race pace advantage would be challenging, particularly on circuits that feature tyre overheating.

When asked if the next upgrade package would be sufficient, Marko replied, “It has to [be], but such a big step is difficult to catch up.