Toto Wolff has admitted that Red Bull Racing made a far bigger leap than expected during the Miami Grand Prix weekend, with the Austrian calling the team’s sudden pace improvement the biggest surprise of the event.
After struggling for consistency earlier in the season, Red Bull arrived in Miami with a major upgrade package for the RB22, introducing seven updates that immediately transformed the car’s competitiveness.
Among the most talked-about changes was Red Bull’s version of Ferrari’s so-called “Macarena” rear wing concept, which appeared to significantly improve overall performance.
The upgrades helped reigning world champion Max Verstappen return to the front-running fight after difficult races earlier in the campaign.
Max Verstappen Back in the Fight After Major Upgrade Package
At the Miami Grand Prix, Max Verstappen was on the front row with Andrea Kimi Antonelli and finished in fifth place during both the Sprint Race and the Main Race.
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Although neither of these results provided a podium finish for him, they did provide the team with evidence of improved race pace compared to their past performances this season, when they had been more than one second behind pole position at each of their previous races and were therefore feeling pressure as they prepared for the Miami weekend.
Toto Wolff On Red Bull’s Performance
According to Toto Wolff, McLaren’s improvement in Miami was something Mercedes had already anticipated due to the Woking-based team’s aggressive development pace this season.
Lando Norris secured sprint pole position before McLaren went on to claim a dominant 1-2 finish in the sprint race.
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Norris later finished second in the Grand Prix itself, while Oscar Piastri completed the podium in third after battling Antonelli throughout the race.
“We’re only at the beginning of this new regulation cycle, and the development curve is very steep, so we expected McLaren, with a significant update package, to gain even half a second,” Toto Wolff told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I have to say that Red Bull was a big surprise because they made a huge step forward, going from more than a second behind the leader to being right there at the front, fighting with Verstappen.”
Red Bull Confirms Scale of Progress
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies also acknowledged the significance of the team’s progress after Miami.
“We left Japan 1.2 seconds away from pole, China 1.0 seconds away from pole,” Mekies told the media.
“So to see us this weekend qualifying six tenths away from pole on Friday and less than two tenths away from pole on Saturday is a big indication of the size of our progress.”
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The numbers highlight how quickly Red Bull appears to have closed the performance gap within just a few races.
Toto Wolff also hinted that Mercedes is preparing further upgrades as Formula 1’s intense development race continues under the current regulations.
“We’ll also bring developments in Canada, but I think it’s normal, throughout this year, to see performances change from race to race.”
With Red Bull recovering pace, McLaren continuing its strong rise, and Mercedes planning more updates, the fight at the front of the grid is becoming increasingly unpredictable heading deeper into the 2026 Formula 1 season.
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