The Miami Formula 1 GP started with positive signs for Red Bull Racing. Max Verstappen closed TL1 with the second-best time, encouraging the team after the car updates.
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Verstappen recorded 1:29.6 and was about three tenths behind Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, the fastest in the session. Still, he finished ahead of all other drivers, indicating progress after the implemented changes.
Laurent Mekies, team principal, highlighted that Red Bull’s focus was not on direct comparison with competitors, but rather on understanding their own performance after the forced break in the calendar: “We were very focused on ourselves in this session. It was important, after the break and the changes to the car, to assess our own progress,” he said.
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According to the team principal, the difficulties seen in previous stages limited the drivers’ potential. Problems prevented Verstappen and his teammate, Isack Hadjar, from fully exploring the car, something Red Bull sought to fix with the new package.
Despite the caution, Mekies showed optimism with the first signs: “We will analyze the difference with the competitors later, but we already see that, on Max’s side, there are signs that we have something with which he can push more,” he concluded.
