Guenther Steiner’s reaction to Isack Hadjar’s frustration was simple: ‘Max does that to you.’

Hadjar had shown promise earlier in the weekend, making it into SQ3 on Friday before just missing out on points in the shortened race. He qualified ninth for the main event but was later excluded for a technical infringement.

But before he crashed out at sector two’s chicane, he had already fallen well behind Verstappen. After keeping pace with him in earlier rounds, Hadjar ended up more than eight-tenths slower during Grand Prix qualifying.

Isack Hadjar ‘lost control of himself’ after Miami Grand Prix crash

Speaking on the Red Flags podcast, Steiner didn’t sound too optimistic about Hadjar’s future. He doesn’t see the Frenchman as the one to break Red Bull’s long-standing issues with their second seat.

Onboard cameras caught Hadjar repeatedly hitting his steering wheel and helmet in frustration after the crash. He’s shown this kind of reaction before, but Steiner believes it reflects the pressure that comes with being Verstappen’s teammate.

“In Miami, he didn’t do a good job compared to Max,” said Steiner. “It’s back to the old thing now. We know all the history there. It’s a Max show at Red Bull.

“Will it change? I think we were hoping [it would]. I do not think it will change.

“We saw Hadjar, his emotional outburst. Now you’ve crashed, there’s no point in hurting yourself by hitting the steering wheel. He lost control of himself, but I think Max does that to you. I wouldn’t like to work with Max!”

There are also suggestions that Red Bull’s recent upgrades might have shifted car development more toward Verstappen’s preferences than Hadjar’s, though it’s still too early to say for certain.

Why Hadjar’s qualifying form deserves more time before big conclusions are drawn

With Verstappen sitting on 26 points to Hadjar’s four, the gap is clear, but it still feels early to make any sweeping judgments about the Red Bull rookie. He needs more than just one race in the newly-upgraded car.

He’s made Q3 in every round so far, and even though that might not jump off the page for a Red Bull driver, it’s still a level of consistency we haven’t seen from that second seat in some time.

It hasn’t always been smooth for that seat. Tsunoda never managed more than three straight Q3s in a row. You’d have to go back to early 2024 when Perez last put together six straight top-10 shootouts, including Sprints.

The real test now is whether he can build on that foundation or gets swallowed up by what many are calling ‘the Max show’.

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Mercedes fell from their pedestal in the Miami Grand Prix, needing to fight hard for the race win and missing out on the sprint race victory.

At the start of the season, Mercedes looked poised to dominate the current ruleset, with their power unit fantastic and their engine supplier status helping them get on the front foot for their customers.

However, McLaren, which is also powered by the same engine, made significant development gains in the U.S.’s first stop.

They brought a notable upgrade package, and it seemed to work to a T, with McLaren winning the sprint race and finishing on the two bottom steps of the podium.

In fact, Lando Norris felt like the team’s decision to let Antonelli do the undercut cost him a greater chance at a possible race win.

Seemingly, Mercedes was left so impressed with what McLaren was able to do that they are seeking help.

Mercedes engineers reached out to McLaren

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that after the race, Mercedes engineers asked McLaren for more information about how to handle the latest software iteration of the power unit.

The report is a turn of the tables, as McLaren had complained about not understanding or getting clarity on certain aspects of the engine.

Now, McLaren has gotten a better handle, good enough to the point where Mercedes is the one asking questions.

The software’s understanding reportedly helped the car just as much as the upgrades.

Mercedes still holds the edge

While McLaren has made a step up, team principal Andrea Stella still sees Mercedes as the team that has the advantages.

“I think Mercedes, they still possess a couple of tenths advantage on anybody else,” Stella said.

“This was most noticeable in the race and the Sprint. In the first Sprint section of the weekend, for some reason, Mercedes didn’t express their full potential, and it looked like the other people made bigger-than-expected upgrades.

“But in reality, it was just Mercedes not optimising their potential.”

If McLaren continues to be aggressive in their upgrade profile, Mercedes will need to respond with their own improvements, and their engineering department has not been tested in that aspect.

Ralf Schumacher named the one driver on the grid who has a seat because of the financial backing he brings to the team.

In Formula 1, earning a spot on a team takes more than just skill behind the wheel. The sport’s huge financial demands mean drivers often need to bring more than just talent—they have to be marketable and profitable, too.

Sponsorship money is what keeps most F1 teams running. A driver who can attract sponsors doesn’t just help fill seats; they add real value beyond their performance on track.

Sometimes, that ability can even buy extra time when results aren’t there. Ralf Schumacher believes that’s exactly what’s happening with Alpine and Flavio Briatore’s continued patience with Franco Colapinto.

Ralf Schumacher suggests Franco Colapinto’s Alpine role is down to money

Speaking on the latest episode of Backstage Boxengasse, Ralf Schumacher suggested that Franco Colapinto has Flavio Briatore’s backing at Alpine because of financial reasons.

Schumacher pointed out that Colapinto brings valuable sponsorship to the team, which he feels is a key reason why Briatore has chosen to back him.

“I truly believe that Flavio Briatore partly believes in Franco Colapinto and attributes a certain talent to him. There’s no question about that.

“But I think he has a few million reasons to do so. In the development phase, where the team is, it doesn’t necessarily matter if they finish in the last 10.”

“Gasly is someone he can rely on. Colapinto is someone who can be faster at times and slower. But he brings money that he urgently needs to get the team back on track,” Schumacher said.

“Renault and the investors want to contribute as little as possible, and every dollar is important.

“I don’t mean to diminish his achievement, but that’s part of the truth as to why Flavio Briatore agreed to go along with him. And if he ultimately gets his way because he adjusts his performance again, then all the better for him.”

Franco Colapinto’s Alpine future tied to Flavio Briatore’s support

While Briatore had initially pushed for Colapinto to leave Alpine before he re-signed with the team, he is now expected to support the Argentine strongly going forward.

Briatore has spoken highly of Colapinto since his performances began to improve, viewing him as a valuable asset to Alpine.

Colapinto’s future at Alpine is still uncertain though. There are voices within the organisation who believe that someone else might be a better fit for the team.

Despite being critical in the past, if Colapinto can maintain results like his P7 finish in Miami, there’s a good chance Briatore will stand by him moving forward.

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Carlos Sainz thinks F1 drivers should ease off on their criticism of the new regulations, even if they aren’t perfect yet.

There were plenty of changes introduced as part of the 2026 F1 regulations, and we saw some of them in action at the Miami Grand Prix.

Lando Norris seemed supportive of what he saw but pointed out that issues with hybridisation still need addressing.

Oscar Piastri, though, raised concerns about how random some of the changes felt. Carlos Sainz, coming off his second top-10 finish of the season, urged others to give it more time before passing judgment.

Carlos Sainz urges F1 to collaborate over new regulations

Carlos Sainz says it’s time for Formula 1 drivers to move away from constant criticism of the new regulations and instead focus on working together to improve them.

The updated 2026 rules were put to the test at the Miami Grand Prix, and reactions were mixed across the grid. Lando Norris acknowledged some positive steps but pointed out long-term issues with hybridisation, while Oscar Piastri questioned the logic behind some of the changes.

Sainz, coming off his second top-10 finish of the season, called for more patience and a collaborative approach from his fellow drivers. Speaking to ESPN after Miami, he addressed whether the recent updates had made a real difference.

“Look, overtaking is overtaking. That’s true. But it depends more on what you do with the engine strategy and engine map than what you do as a driver,” Sainz said.

“So I think these regulations still have potential for improvement. But I think it’s time to stop criticising and keep pushing for changes in the right direction.”

F1 needs collaboration to address criticism of 2026 rule changes

McLaren took things further by instructing Norris not to criticise publicly – a surprising move given that he hadn’t been particularly outspoken about them lately.

In contrast, Sainz seems open to a more constructive path forward. His recent comments could signal a willingness among drivers to work more closely with officials rather than remain adversarial.

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Kimi Antonelli has claimed his third consecutive victory of the season at the Miami Grand Prix, and with it comes a question that Mercedes would probably prefer to stay in the background: where exactly does that leave George Russell?

Russell won the season opener before Antonelli ran off three straight wins, leaving the Italian 20 points clear of his teammate just four races in. And while Briton has entered the season as the betting-odds favourite to win the title, it has now swung in his team-mate direction.

Russell’s Contract Situation Invites Questions

It has been suggested that Russell may have to win the 2026 drivers‘ title to trigger a one-year option to extend his contract with Mercedes, though Russell’s own comments suggest the clause could be more favourable in his direction than simply winning the championship outright.

Russell himself has told the media: “I will be here next year with the team and that’s that,” describing it as “a multi-year deal” and adding that “even if metrics aren’t hit, if things are happy then you continue.”

That’s a confident face to put on a situation that is, by any honest read, performance-contingent.

Juan Pablo Montoya isn’t buying his composure. Speaking on the F1: Checkered Flag Podcast alongside 1996 world champion Damon Hill, Montoya argued the contract structure itself is the problem:

“Maybe by just getting a one-year deal. His mindset is in the wrong place because when they give you a one-year deal, they’re telling you, ‘We’re going to extend you, but we’re not sure about you.'”

Hill was a bit sharper on the subject. He raised the question of whether Russell’s standing at Mercedes has quietly changed now that Antonelli is here: “I think this whole business with the contract – remember it dragged on and Toto was kind of like playing with him a little bit and you want to go come on, you know, excuse me but I am doing the job.”

“Is it a case of him not being the favorite child anymore because he was sort of being groomed at Williams to replace Bottas, got the gig and then the competitive wasn’t there and now Antonelli’s here?” Harry Benjamin asked.

Montoya’s response cut to it: “Yeah. But the reality of it is you have Max Verstappen the little diamond in this, you know, in the sky that everybody wants.”

The Verstappen Factor Isn’t Going Away

Verstappen could get the option to leave Red Bull at the end of 2026 if he sits outside the top two in the standings at the summer break, with a window from August to October to trigger his release clause, and Red Bull’s early difficulties this season make it increasingly likely he’ll have a decision to make.

It has since been said that Toto Wolff is almost certain to target Verstappen again. Russell is contracted to remain at Mercedes until at least the end of the 2026 season.

If Verstappen becomes available mid-season and Antonelli continues winning races, the internal calculus at Brackley shifts considerably. Russell’s best argument for staying is a championship challenge. Right now, his teammate is conducting one without him.