Will Red Bull’s 2026 Midfield Nightmare End in Miami?
With three races down in the 2026 season, Red Bull finds itself in an unexpected position: the midfield. The struggles were exemplified by Max Verstappen’s lengthy battle with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly during the Japanese Grand Prix. The four-time champion and his teammate, Isack Hadjar, have become accustomed to these types of battles, as neither driver has achieved a top-five finish this season. The Milton Keynes side entered the unplanned April break in sixth place, only two points ahead of the junior team.
The season opener in Australia gave the impression that Red Bull were off the pace of Mercedes, but in the mix with the front-running teams. Before a mechanical failure, Hadjar was comfortably running in fifth ahead of defending champion Lando Norris, and Verstappen had an impressive recovery drive to finish sixth after starting in 20th place. However, the following races revealed a clear gap in pace between the RB22 and the other presumed big four cars. Qualifying performances have been equally difficult. While Hadjar looks to have dispelled the curse of the second Red Bull seat by leading the qualifying head-to-head with the previously faultless Verstappen, the overall results have been poor. The Dutchman’s Q2 elimination in Japan at the hands of rookie Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad sums up the team’s current form.
Five weeks is a lot of time to make improvements, and team boss Lauren Mekies believes a big step forward is possible. The Frenchman is not expecting a miracle turnaround by the time teams arrive in Miami, but he is expecting a much better understanding of the car and its flaws. The teams’ spirits are not high at the moment, according to Hadjar, and this is clearly evident in Verstappen’s comments whenever he has an opportunity to speak about his current situation. Only three races into a new set of regulations is too early to push the panic button. McLaren’s horrible start to the season was quickly forgotten by Oscar Piastri’s second-place finish at Suzuka. The Australian completed his first racing lap of 2026 with the Grand Prix lead, and may have been able to hold on to the victory without a poorly timed safety car. Red Bull fans will be hoping for a similar renaissance by the time of the Miami Grand Prix, because a season of battles with Alpine and the junior team is unlikely to be what anyone expected coming into the season.
