Red Bull introduced a significant upgrade package for its RB22 car at the Miami Grand Prix, including a new 'Macarena' rear wing, revised sidepods, and weight reductions. Max Verstappen said the changes have almost halved the performance gap to frontrunners. Team principal Laurent Mekies described the developments as heading in the right direction.
Red Bull brought seven upgrades to the Miami Grand Prix, as listed in the FIA technical document. The package features a rotating 'Macarena' rear wing for active aerodynamics, which the team insists it developed independently of Ferrari's version, having submitted ideas to the FIA last year. The wing rotates around 160 degrees, differing from Ferrari's 270-degree design, to reduce drag and increase lift. It was tested successfully at Silverstone before debuting in Miami after the first three races of the 2026 season. Other changes include wider sidepods with a waterslide ramp, updated engine cover, floor, front wing, and exhaust modifications to improve airflow stability and load extraction. The RB22, designed by technical director Pierre Wache, was initially 12kg overweight but the upgrades roughly halve that excess, aiming for the 768kg minimum later at the Austrian or British Grand Prix. Max Verstappen qualified fifth for the Miami sprint race, 0.6 seconds off Lando Norris' pole—nearly half the 1.2-second deficit he faced in Suzuka qualifying. 'It feels more together... we have almost halved that gap now,' Verstappen said. He noted ongoing weaknesses in high-speed sectors but felt more confident in the car, clearing the midfield. Teammate Isack Hadjar reached SQ3 but was puzzled by his one-second gap to Verstappen. Laurent Mekies told Sky Germany the updates were 'in the right direction,' with both drivers reporting greater consistency. 'It's a closest gap to pole that we ever had this year,' he said, though he cautioned fans not to expect miracles after a tough season start. The team focused on resolving flow stability issues identified in Japan.
