Max Verstappen sees ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ after qualifying 2nd for the Miami GP

Max Verstappen There is sure to be “light at the end of the tunnel” for Red Bull after starting on the front row with a strong qualifying performance at the Miami Grand Prix.

After struggling for performance and reliability in the first three races of 2026, Verstappen is ninth in the drivers’ standings heading into Sunday’s race, 59 points behind the championship leader. Kimi Antonelli.

Widespread disappointment over Formula 1’s new regulations has left the four-time champion questioning his future in the series after the final round in Japan, but he appeared more upbeat after finishing second on the grid behind Antonelli in Miami.

“From here, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and we can only go forward and try to close the gap even more,” Verstappen said after qualifying.

The improvement came after a five-week break in racing due to race cancellations in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, allowing Red Bull to arrive in Miami with a raft of changes to its cars.

The progress was evident in the sprint race in Miami, where Verstappen finished fifth, and the four-time champion said he found another step up in performance in Saturday’s qualifying.

“A lot of things weren’t working until this weekend, so for us to get the car back together, for me in the car as well, some things have changed and made it a lot more comfortable to drive,” Verstappen said of the changes. “I feel a lot more confident and I don’t feel like I’m a passenger in the car anymore.

“It was already quite clear yesterday (in sprint qualifying) and then I think today the sprint wasn’t too bad.

“I could finally follow the cars in front of me, rather than pulling them over and not seeing them again. And then some small changes for qualifying and it seems that helped a bit again.

“I mean, to go from over a second behind in the previous race to the front row is really incredible.”

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Asked to identify which changes to the car made the biggest difference, Verstappen said: “Honestly, it’s everything, because nothing really worked before. I felt like a total passenger in the car.

“It can understeer, it can hit me, it can feel different from one session to another without parts touching. So we’ve figured out a lot, I think.

“We’re still not where we want to be in terms of understanding everything, but mostly. And yes, it shows that the car feels a lot more together here. Yes, I can finally drive the way I want to drive, just with my steering inputs, and that helps a lot.

“And then I think with power management as well, I think everybody’s learning every single weekend, so are we. Of course, we’re a brand new manufacturer, so I think our learning curve is probably a little steeper. But yeah, they’re doing a really good job, and let’s just say it’s getting better every time.”