Red Bull admitted they got it wrong after unveiling ‘extreme’ Miami Grand Prix sidepod upgrade

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Red Bull stole the show with their Macarena rear wing as 10 of the 11 teams unveiled upgrades at the Miami Grand Prix on Friday, yet their sidepod update was also telling.

The break in the F1 calendar from the cancellations of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian rounds meant most outfits delayed the introduction of their first major upgrades of the season until the Miami GP. Only Aston Martin opted not to reveal any upgrades for the AMR26 in Florida.

Red Bull have been one of the busiest teams testing new parts at Hard Rock Stadium, having debuted seven upgrades. Only Ferrari with 11 and Cadillac with nine updates brought more new parts to the Miami GP than Red Bull. Mercedes, in contrast, only brought two updates.

Red Bull “excited” Ted Kravitz with their Macarena rear wing when it broke cover this Friday, as Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar got to grips with their latest drag reduction tool. Also, a lot of F1 fans instantly took notice of the huge slot gap with Red Bull’s Macarena rear wing.

Red Bull’s sidepod upgrade in Miami shows they admit their Japan update did not deliver

Red Bull also debuted a new front wing, a new floor and reshaped sidepods among their raft of upgrades at the Miami GP. And Auto Motor und Sport reports that Red Bull’s new sidepod update suggests they accept their previous update in Japan ‘did not have the desired effect’.

READ MORE: How to watch the 2026 Miami GP, including the Sprint, plus weather forecast

The Milton Keynes squad were not expected to unveil another sidepod upgrade in Miami, as they had only taken an update to the Japanese Grand Prix in the previous round – albeit five weeks ago. But Red Bull ‘immediately’ felt the need to eye ‘further improvements’ in Miami.

Red Bull’s latest sidepod upgrade for the RB22 is ‘significant’, as well, as they have adopted a steeper ramp to direct air towards the rear diffuser. Technical director Pierre Wache and his team have also incorporated a ‘deep channel’ to prevent the airflow from escaping laterally.

The ‘extreme’ design is also ‘unmatched’ compared to their rivals’ cars, and all of the seven upgrades that Red Bull have taken to the Miami GP appear to have helped. Red Bull had an underwhelming start to the season with torrid balance problems, but have shown promise.

Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari still had an edge over Red Bull during Sprint Qualifying this Friday. But Verstappen was able to finish SQ3 with the fifth-fastest lap time, after posting a 1:28.461. The four-time champion was 0.353s slower than Oscar Piastri’s SQ3 time for P3.