Formula 1 News: Upgrades shake up Miami order as Mercedes loses edge
(GMM) A wave of major upgrades has blown open the competitive order in Miami, with Mercedes (pictured with George Russell at the wheel) no longer the clear team to beat after dominating the start of the 2026 season.
Sprint qualifying produced a tightly packed field, led by world champion Lando Norris ahead of championship leader Kimi Antonelli, with Ferrari and Red Bull also firmly in the mix around the Miami International Autodrome.
Mercedes’ George Russell admitted the shift.
“It’s quite surprising the huge leap that McLaren and Ferrari have made. It’s truly impressive,” he said.
“We knew they had probably closed the gap, but all day long they’ve been faster than us.”
He added: “Everyone’s talking about the duel between Kimi and me, but first and foremost, we have to remain the team to beat.”
Mercedes Teenage teammate Antonelli also hinted at a potential turning point in the season.
“If we manage to win, it would be a great sign. It would mean the car is solid,” he said.
“Then it’ll be our turn to bring the new features – and it will become interesting.”
At Ferrari, Charles Leclerc said the gains – including the ‘Macarena’ rear wing – are real. “Our upgrades are good, it’s just that everyone has brought them,” he said.
“We expected the Mercedes to be the car to beat, although McLaren has taken a big step forward, but I feel they haven’t optimized their first races of the season. They were always there, but things weren’t going well.”
McLaren’s leap appears even more significant, with team boss Andrea Stella confirming the package is delivering.
“I can’t confirm that,” he smiled when asked about Zak Brown’s claims of a seven-tenth gain from the new package.
“It was a few tenths. But it’s definitely good for the sport when McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull make progress and are fighting together at the front again.”
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Red Bull, too, has taken a step forward, with Max Verstappen reporting a much-improved car.
“Today the car felt much more like a unit than at the first GP weekends, which is good,” he said.
“In the last few races, we were over a second behind. I would say we’ve almost halved that gap, and we can build on that. At least it looks like we’ve left the midfield behind.”