Max Verstappen finished fifth in Sprint Qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix on Friday, May 1, 2026. The three-time world champion described the result as 'a really positive step for us' but acknowledged his Red Bull car is 'still not where I want it to be.'
Verstappen will start Saturday's Sprint race from the third row, having set a time of 1:28.456 in the SQ3 session at the Miami International Autodrome. The Dutchman was 0.342 seconds behind pole-sitter Oscar Piastri of McLaren.
'We made some improvements compared to the last few weekends,' Verstappen said. 'The balance was better, but we still lack overall grip, especially in the high-speed corners. We're working hard to close the gap.'
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner noted that the team is experimenting with setup changes to address the car's weaknesses. 'We're not where we want to be yet, but the direction is encouraging,' Horner said.
The Sprint race is scheduled for Saturday afternoon, followed by the Grand Prix on Sunday. Verstappen currently leads the drivers' championship by 14 points over Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.
