McLaren and Red Bull upgrades shake grid

Formula 1 in Miami was supposed to tell us whether Mercedes still had the new rules era under control. It kind of did — Kimi Antonelli still won the Grand Prix on May 3. But the more important thing was what happened underneath that result. McLaren’s new package clearly worked. Red Bull’s did too. And for the first time this season, the front of the grid looked less like a hierarchy and more like a fight. (formula1.com) ### Why was Miami such a big test? Miami came after a five-week break and teams used that time to bring the first really serious 2026 update wave. Ferrari arrived with the biggest package of the leading teams, McLaren split its changes across Miami and Canada, and Red Bull rolled out a broad set of revisions as it tried to recover from a shaky start. Mercedes, by contrast, came with only minor changes while defending an early edge. (the-race.com) ### Did McLaren’s upgrade actually work? Yes — pretty clearly. Lando Norris took Sprint pole with a 1:27.869, then converted it into McLaren’s first win of the 2026 season in Saturday’s Sprint, leading home Oscar Piastri for a 1-2. That was the first real sign that McLaren’s “completely new car” talk was not just paddock hype. The car looked stronger over a lap than before, and still had the tyre consistency that helped McLaren last year. (formula1.com) ### So why didn’t McLaren win Sunday? Because pace and execution are not the same thing. Andrea Stella said after the race that Norris could have won the Grand Prix, or at least had a much better chance, if McLaren had handled the race more cleanly. His point was blunt — when four teams are (formula1.com)stakes hurt. (formula1.com) ### What changed for Red Bull? Red Bull’s package seems to have done exactly what the team wanted — not turn the RB22 into the best car overnight, but make it less compromised. Max Verstappen said the upgrades had “almost halved” the gap to the frontrunners. The changes included(formula1.com)ne he could finally lean on. (autosport.com) ### What about Ferrari? Ferrari brought a huge package too, with extensive front-corner, floor, diffuser, suspension, and rear-wing changes. But Miami suggests the return was weaker than expected. Charles Leclerc had warned before the weekend that the upgrades might not erase Mercedes’ advantage, and the race result b(autosport.com)ift the competitive picture the way McLaren and Red Bull did. (the-race.com) ### Is Mercedes still the benchmark? Probably yes — but by less. Stella’s read was that Mercedes still has a couple of tenths over the field in pure pace, especially on Sunday trim. But Miami also showed that Mercedes is now vulnerable if it misses the window, like it seemed to in the Sprint. Antonelli still won the Grand Prix and George Russell came home fourth, so the baseline remains strong. The catch is that the cushion no longer looks comfortable. (formula1.com) ### What does this mean for the season? Miami looked like the start of 2026 phase two. Before this weekend, Mercedes had controlled the opening three rounds. After Miami, McLaren looks capable of winning on merit, Red Bull looks relevant again, and Ferrari still has enough underlying speed to stay in the mix if it can make its package work. That is a very different championship shape from the one F1 left before the break. (the-race.com) ### Bottom line? The headline result was another Mercedes win. The real story was that the upgrade race finally bit. McLaren found lap time. Red Bull found competitiveness. And the grid got compressed enough that tiny decisions now matter as much as raw speed. (formula1.com)