Toto Wolff surprised by Red Bull’s major step forward in Miami

Red Bull arrived at the Miami Grand Prix with a large upgrade package for the RB22, introducing seven new components aimed at improving the car’s overall performance.

The updates delivered an immediate effect. After struggling in the opening rounds of the 2026 Formula 1 season, Max Verstappen returned to the front of the field and qualified on the front row alongside Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.

The four-time world champion then finished fifth in both the Sprint and the Grand Prix, confirming that Red Bull had taken an important step forward.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff admitted that the scale of Red Bull’s improvement caught him by surprise.

"We are only at the start of this new regulation cycle and the development curve is very steep, therefore we expected McLaren, with a significant update package, to gain even half a second," Wolff told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"However, I must 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," the Mercedes boss added.

Wolff explained that Mercedes had anticipated McLaren’s strong performance in Miami, as the Woking-based team also introduced substantial upgrades.

Lando Norris took pole position for the Sprint before McLaren secured a dominant one-two finish in the short race. Norris then finished second in Sunday’s Grand Prix, while Oscar Piastri completed the podium in third after putting Antonelli under pressure throughout the race.

Although Mercedes remained competitive, Wolff believes Red Bull’s sudden progress was the most significant development of the weekend and a reminder that the competitive order can still change quickly under Formula 1’s new regulations.