Verstappen says Red Bull still short on pace after fifth place in Miami

LONDON: Max Verstappen said Red Bull had made significant progress with its upgraded car but remained short of the speed needed to compete for victories after he finished fifth in Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix.

The four-time world champion said he had enjoyed driving the revised car as he chased his first win of the year, but his race was compromised by a spin on the opening lap that forced an early pit stop.

Reflecting on the incident, Verstappen said, "I lost the rear and tried to minimize the time loss," adding that the opening phase of the race proved difficult. "Early on, the hard tire didn't work for us and it was tough," he said. "We dropped quite heavily down the pack."

Verstappen said the result might have been different under better circumstances, but stopped short of suggesting Red Bull had the pace to win. "Maybe I could've been in the place Oscar finished (third) if we did enough, but it's always easy to say that afterwards," he said.

He added that the team still had work to do despite the gains made over the weekend. "Unfortunately, we are still lacking a bit, but we'll be better. I don't know how much more pace there is," Verstappen said.

The Dutch driver, 28, also said he did not believe he could realistically have challenged for victory in Miami. "It was tough," he said. "We've improved a lot this weekend, but still lack a bit and for sure there's more pace to unlock."

Hadjar crashes out after starting from the back

Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar began the race from the rear of the grid after being disqualified from qualifying, but his race ended on lap six when he crashed into the barriers in the chicane.

The accident brought out the Safety Car and helped Verstappen by allowing him to make what was described as a cheap pit stop.

Hadjar expressed frustration after the crash, saying, "It was a tough one and for me, obviously, breaking the car is pissing me off a lot." He said points had been within reach given the performance of the car. "It was easy points today considering the car I had so I feel I just threw it all away," he said.

He also said the incident unfolded too quickly for him to fully understand it in the moment. "I can't really remember what happened because it went so very quickly. It felt like it was a big hit and I didn't see it coming. The car was broken and I couldn't stop it," Hadjar said.

He added that the crash underlined the need for full concentration throughout the race. "It just shows how much you need to be focused and I wasn't," he said.