Max Verstappen has praised significant Red Bull upgrades after returning to form at the Miami Grand Prix, while team-mate Isack Hadjar struggled to match his pace.
The Milton Keynes-based team endured a difficult start to the 2026 season, failing to match the speed of Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren.
However, developmental changes introduced during a five-week break allowed the Dutchman to deliver a highly competitive showing in Florida.
The four-time world champion qualified second for Sunday’s race, although a spin at the start relegated him to an eventual fifth-place finish.
Light at the end of the tunnel
The improved performance comes after a frustrating opening three rounds in Australia, China and Japan, where he failed to qualify higher than eighth.
These early struggles, combined with his distaste for the sport’s new regulations, had previously prompted him to consider his future in Formula 1.
Following a breakthrough in Saturday’s qualifying session, a noticeably happier driver expressed optimism about the updated RB22 challenger.
“I’m already very happy with where we are,” Verstappen said.
“From here there’s light at the end of the tunnel, that we can just push on and try to close the gap further.”
Regaining control of the car
Prior to the Miami weekend, the series leader admitted he felt like a passenger in a thoroughly unpredictable machine.
The extensive upgrades have seemingly cured those drivability issues, giving him the confidence to push the car to its limits once again.
“I never felt comfortable with the layout of the car,” Verstappen explained.
“I feel more in control of the car again and then I can push a bit more, then the upgrades are working.”
In stark contrast, his team-mate Isack Hadjar endured a torrid weekend, losing significant ground to the revitalised team leader.
The French driver will now face mounting pressure to extract similar performance from the upgraded package at the next round of the championship.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli has extended his Formula 1 championship advantage by securing a dominant victory at the Miami Grand Prix following a five-week break.
The young Italian delivered a stupendous weekend performance, claiming his third consecutive pole position and race win.
His impressive form completely overshadowed teammate George Russell, who struggled to find grip and rhythm around the Florida circuit.
McLaren secure double podium finish
Reigning world champion Lando Norris capitalised on a new upgrade package to finish second.
The British driver had earlier taken a commanding sprint victory on Saturday, but missed out on the main event win after anticipated wet weather failed to materialise.
He was joined on the podium by teammate Oscar Piastri, who drove a solid race to secure third place despite finishing adrift of his garage partner.
Late drama demotes Leclerc
Ferrari endured a frustrating Sunday after Charles Leclerc received a 20-second post-race time penalty.
The Monegasque driver was punished for leaving the track repeatedly and driving in an unsafe condition.
A dramatic final-lap spin into the wall ultimately dropped him from sixth down to eighth position.
His teammate Lewis Hamilton also struggled, trailing behind all weekend and suffering a slow pit stop alongside contact with Alpine’s Franco Colapinto.
Verstappen stumbles as Williams score
Max Verstappen endured a difficult race, spinning on the opening lap and receiving a five-second penalty for a pit exit violation.
Despite the Red Bull driver’s uncharacteristic errors, the team showed positive pace following recent upgrades.
Elsewhere, Williams salvaged vital points through Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon, with the latter getting off the mark for the season.
Alpine also celebrated a highly successful weekend as Colapinto secured crucial points following his strongest performance to date.
Formula 1 will abandon its current hybrid power units and revert to V8 engines by the 2031 season, according to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
The sport introduced a new engine era this year, featuring power units split evenly between electric and combustion power while operating on fully sustainable fuel.
However, this significant overhaul of the technical regulations has faced mounting criticism from several leading drivers.
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen recently compared the latest hybrid machines to Formula E, branding them as unenjoyable to drive.
Meanwhile, seven-time title winner Lewis Hamilton has openly expressed his frustration regarding the sheer complexity of the modern systems.
Cost and weight concerns drive change
The existing power units remain enormously expensive for both manufacturers and customer teams to produce and maintain.
They are also exceptionally heavy, primarily due to the substantial battery packs required to support the electrical components.
The concept of returning to older engine configurations was initially floated last year but faced rejection from manufacturers who had already invested heavily in hybrid technology.
Despite this initial resistance, the sport’s governing body insists that a shift toward lighter, less complex machinery is inevitable.
Ben Sulayem targets earlier implementation
Under current governance structures, the sport’s rule-makers can mandate technical changes by the start of the next decade regardless of team opposition.
In 2031, the FIA will have the power to do it, without any votes from the power unit manufacturers.
But we want to bring it one year earlier, which everyone externally now is asking for.
When you try to tell them, they say no, but what will come, will come, and the power will come back to the FIA.
Speaking ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, the Emirati official indicated that the eight-cylinder option is heavily favoured over a V10 layout due to modern automotive trends.
If I ask any of the manufacturers who are in F1 now if they produce any cars with a V10, an era that many of the cars had, but now, no.
These future V8s will not be straightforward naturally-aspirated designs, but will instead align with the ongoing commitment to fully sustainable fuels.
George Russell says his smooth driving style is to blame for his significant qualifying deficit to Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli at the Miami Grand Prix.
The 19-year-old Italian claimed a superb pole position for Sunday’s race, beating his more experienced garage partner by almost four-tenths of a second.
That pace advantage left the Briton settling for fifth on the grid at the Miami International Autodrome.
The teenage sensation currently leads the Drivers’ Championship by seven points, having secured back-to-back victories in China and Japan earlier this season.
Low-grip struggles
The pair’s qualifying form continued a clear trend established throughout the Florida weekend.
While the former Williams driver managed to outscore his rival in Friday’s Sprint, that was solely due to the championship leader receiving a post-race penalty for track limits.
“I just struggle on these low-grip circuits, so here, Zandvoort, Brazil,”
Russell explained after qualifying.
“It was the same last year; it’s something I want to work on but there are three tracks out of the 24 that are outliers, and Miami is definitely top of that list.”
Sliding in the Florida heat
The British racer noted that the unique circuit characteristics actively work against his natural approach behind the wheel.
“I’m quite a smooth, precise driver, and that’s always been my style,”
he added.
“On these tracks you have to be happy with the car just sliding.”
“It’s so hot, the tyre pressures are high, the grip is really low, so it doesn’t feel that pleasant, whereas tracks like Saudi the grip is super high.”
Championship battle intensifies
The King’s Lynn-born racer entered the 2026 campaign as a heavy pre-season favourite to claim his maiden world title.
He initially delivered on those lofty expectations by comfortably winning the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
However, his rookie team-mate has dramatically shifted the momentum within the Silver Arrows camp during the subsequent rounds.
With grid positions locked in, the established Mercedes team leader faces a daunting uphill battle to close the points gap in Sunday’s showpiece event.
Former Formula 1 driver and four-time Paralympic gold medallist Alex Zanardi has died at the age of 59, his family has announced.
The beloved Italian sporting icon passed away peacefully on Friday night while surrounded by close family members.
No specific cause of death was provided in the official statement released over the weekend.
The acclaimed racer’s later life was tragically marked by a severe handbike accident during a relay event in Tuscany in 2020.
That collision with a truck resulted in serious facial and cranial trauma, leaving the extraordinary athlete in a medically-induced coma for an extended period.
A legacy of unimaginable resilience
Nearly two decades prior to that incident, the Bologna-born competitor survived a horrific crash during a 2001 CART race in Germany.
The devastating high-speed accident required the amputation of both his legs, a trauma that would have seemingly ended any traditional motorsport career.
However, the two-time American open-wheel champion famously designed his own prosthetics and astonishingly returned to competitive action.
Pivoting to hand cycling, the determined veteran transformed himself into one of the world’s most successful para-athletes.
Paralympic glory and national pride
He secured four glorious gold medals and two silvers across the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Paralympic Games.
His remarkable endurance feats also included competing in the New York City Marathon and setting a world Ironman record.
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni led the widespread tributes, describing the national hero as an extraordinary man who turned every challenge into a lesson in courage.
“With his sporting achievements, with his example and with his humanity, he gave all of us much more than a victory: he gave hope, pride, and the strength to never give up.”
Giorgia Meloni added that the entire government extends its sincerest thoughts to his grieving loved ones.
Revered across the motorsport paddock
Before his life-altering accidents, the talented driver enjoyed spells at the very pinnacle of single-seater racing.
Following his consecutive American championships in the late 1990s, he secured a high-profile move back to Formula 1.
Even after transitioning entirely to para-sports, the inspirational figure made a stunning return to endurance motor racing in 2019.
Competing at the Rolex 24 of Daytona without prosthetics for BMW, he commanded immense respect from a star-studded field that included former world champion Fernando Alonso.
Formula 1 has officially cancelled the 2026 Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grands Prix from their scheduled April slots due to ongoing geopolitical conflict in the Middle East.
The sport’s leadership and the FIA determined that the safety of teams, staff and fans could not be guaranteed amidst regional instability.
Initial hopes of moving the two events to the end of the year have faded as the conflict persists.
This unprecedented decision reduces the 2026 calendar from a record-breaking 24 rounds to 22.
A massive gap in the schedule
The cancellation has created a five-week hiatus in the racing calendar throughout April.
The championship paused after the Japanese Grand Prix and will only resume with the Miami Grand Prix this weekend.
Officials decided against finding replacement venues for the vacant spring slots.
The logistical nightmare of organising a race on short notice was avoided, which has helped ease the travel burden on team personnel.
Safety remains the priority
Stefano Domenicali, the sport’s chief executive, acknowledged the difficulty of losing two established early-season pillars.
While this was a difficult decision to take, it is unfortunately the right one at this stage considering the current situation in the Middle East.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the governing body, echoed these sentiments regarding the protection of the motorsport community.
The FIA will always place the safety and well-being of our community and colleagues first.
He added his hopes for a swift return to regional stability and offered his thoughts to all those affected by recent events.
Future prospects in the Middle East
Domenicali confirmed that the premier motorsport category intends to return to both countries as soon as circumstances allow.
The schedule for the 2027 season is expected to be released in June or later.
Despite the loss of these two events, the current season finale is still scheduled to take place at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.
Charles Leclerc set the fastest time in the only practice session for the Miami Grand Prix as championship leaders Mercedes encountered significant power unit issues.
The Monegasque driver capitalised on a heavily upgraded car to beat Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 0.297 seconds on Formula 1’s return to action.
Oscar Piastri secured third place, though his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris showed competitive pace before traffic compromised his flying lap.
Lewis Hamilton finished almost half a second adrift of Leclerc, trailing his new colleague throughout the 90-minute session.
Mercedes dominant start under threat
The Brackley-based squad have won the opening three races of the 2026 season and arrived in Florida unbeaten in competitive sessions.
However, they have brought minimal upgrades compared to the substantial new floors introduced by McLaren, Red Bull, and the Scuderia.
Their primary concern will be the mechanical gremlins that severely restricted track time for both George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.
“It sounds like a steam train.”
That was Russell’s radio message as he reported a strange noise from his engine, while his Italian partner failed to complete a crucial soft-tyre run entirely.
Antonelli defends championship lead
The teenage sensation currently leads the Drivers’ Championship, holding a nine-point advantage over his more experienced team-mate.
With Sprint Qualifying scheduled for Friday evening, the Silver Arrows face an urgent battle to resolve their reliability concerns.
The early indications suggest they may no longer possess the outright fastest machinery on the Miami International Autodrome.
Lewis Hamilton is hoping for an improved performance at this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix as Formula 1 returns following an unexpected five-week hiatus.
The 2026 season resumes in Florida after the cancellations of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races due to rising tensions in the Middle East.
Teams have not raced competitively since the Japanese Grand Prix in late March.
Heavy rainfall is forecast to hit the circuit this weekend, threatening to replicate the chaotic conditions seen at the event last year.
Past frustrations and team orders
The previous iteration of the Miami race was heavily disrupted by torrential downpours, leading to the complete abandonment of the F1 Academy support event.
While the main grand prix eventually went ahead, the British driver endured a frustrating afternoon on his way to an eighth-place finish.
Tensions flared over team radio when Ferrari initially instructed him to hold position behind team-mate Charles Leclerc.
The veteran racer sarcastically suggested his strategists could have a tea break while delaying the call to let him pass the Monegasque driver.
Seeking a smoother resumption
Speaking to the media following that race, he clarified that his comments were born out of a desire for swift, concise decision-making.
“I’m sure people didn’t like certain comments but you’ve got to understand it was frustrating, people say way worse things than what I say.”
“Let’s not get emotional about it. We’re here to race, we’re not where we want to be.”
The remainder of that campaign proved difficult for the former Mercedes man, who failed to secure another podium finish all year.
However, the current 2026 campaign has started more positively, with a recent third-place finish in China providing optimism for the Scuderia.