Verstappen gains the lead as Red Bull's upgrades highlight the performance gap with his teammate.

      Max Verstappen has taken the lead over his new teammate in Miami, as the significant upgrade package from Red Bull seems to align well with his driving style, leaving Isack Hadjar at a disadvantage. After a challenging start to 2026, Red Bull utilized the lengthy April break to tackle various issues with the RB22.

      "Red Bull identified several problems with the car and has found solutions," said former advisor Dr. Helmut Marko. "If the car becomes competitive again, it will bring back the enjoyment for Max and improve his mood," the 83-year-old shared with Kronen Zeitung.

      The revised car, which features a Ferrari-style 'Macarena' rear wing with a larger opening, immediately demonstrated better competitiveness in Miami. "You might doubt my words, but I must say this in fairness to the team - they developed this (Macarena) concept long before we hit the track and observed what everyone else was doing," stated team principal Laurent Mekies. "However, as we mentioned, we had more pressing issues to address before we could get this rear wing on track. So, it's a strong indication of how hard everyone is working."

      Gianpiero Lambiase, Verstappen’s race engineer, remarked: "It’s a very positive day for us as a team." "We’ve had four or five weeks since the last race, allowing all teams to reflect on the first tests and Grands Prix, and to comprehend the car's limitations."

      Nevertheless, the enhancements seem to have increased the internal performance gap. Verstappen was sometimes over a second faster than Hadjar, leaving the young French driver seeking explanations. "I don’t know why this is happening. I’ve never experienced a deficit of more than a tenth this year in crucial moments," Hadjar explained. "I don’t understand what’s going on. I know I can drive."

      "It’s incredibly frustrating to be a second behind my teammate," he stated to Canal Plus. "In the first three Grands Prix, I always understood why I was slower or occasionally faster than him. Now, there’s a full second difference. We need to figure out why that is. I know I can still drive, so we need to comprehend this."

      He acknowledged that the car remains challenging. "I don’t enjoy driving the car at all," Hadjar admitted. "I struggle to understand it. This is certainly not a significant improvement for me."

      Former Ferrari engineer Ernest Knoors offered insights on the development direction. "The car responds to Max's demands," he noted. "It’s also noticeable that Max is now further ahead, and Isack Hadjar is lagging behind him."

      "He might be facing issues, but it’s also possible that the car has advanced in the past four or five weeks in a way that favors Max, making it harder for Hadjar."