Max Verstappen Left Uncertain About Red Bull Floor Upgrade After… Read more
Max Verstappen has admitted he’s unsure about the effectiveness of Red Bull’s latest floor upgrade following a difficult and puzzling outing at the Miami Grand Prix. The team introduced a new specification of the RB21 floor in Florida, hoping it would boost performance or at least offer useful data. However, Verstappen stated that the characteristics of the Miami International Autodrome made it hard to gather any meaningful insights.
Despite securing pole position in qualifying, Verstappen struggled to convert his pace into a strong race result. He was overtaken by both McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris during the race, eventually finishing fourth behind Mercedes’ George Russell. The underwhelming performance came as a surprise, especially given Red Bull’s typically strong race pace.
Red Bull had hoped that the floor update would represent a step forward in development. Instead, the team came away from the weekend with more questions than answers. Verstappen emphasized that the unique layout and corner types of the Miami circuit made it difficult to assess the real impact of the upgrade.
Speaking to Dutch media after the race weekend, including RacingNews365, Verstappen said the situation wasn’t negative but simply inconclusive. “It’s not negative in any case,” the 27-year-old commented after claiming pole. “I find it very difficult to think anything about that at this track. It all feels very weird here. And the corners are all just weird.”
The Miami street circuit, known for its unconventional layout and challenging grip levels, appeared to prevent teams from getting an accurate read on their upgrades. Verstappen believes a clearer picture will only emerge once the team races at a more traditional venue. He pointed to the upcoming Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola as a better testing ground to understand the new developments.
Verstappen’s comments reflect a growing sense of uncertainty at Red Bull, a team that has otherwise dominated much of the past two seasons. With rivals like McLaren showing clear signs of progress and the gap narrowing at the front, the pressure is mounting for Red Bull to maintain their edge through effective upgrades.
For now, the reigning World Champion remains cautiously optimistic. While Miami didn’t offer clear answers, the team will turn its attention to Imola, where they hope to better evaluate the new floor’s performance in more conventional racing conditions.
