MONDAY MORNING DEBRIEF: What could Verstappen have achieved in Miami without his Lap 1 spin?
Despite showing promising improvement in Miami, Max Verstappen struggled to place higher than fifth after spinning out on the opening lap.


The competitive shift resulting in the Miami upgrades from McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull was significant. Suddenly, Mercedes had real competition and, although Kimi Antonelli won regardless, his victory was hard-fought and came after fighting past both a Ferrari and a McLaren, with Lando Norris then keeping him under sustained pressure right to the end.
But there was an intriguing ‘what if?’ question about just where Max Verstappen would have figured had he not spun his Red Bull down towards the tail of the field two corners into the race as he fought with Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari for the lead.
Next Up
Related Articles
The 2026 Qualifying and race head-to-heads so far
Azerbaijan mistake 'certainly took me by surprise' – Piastri
Betting5 betting lessons after Russell wins in Azerbaijan
UnlockedPALMER: Why George Russell’s Baku win was so impressive
What the teams said – Race day in Azerbaijan
Alpine release statement over online abuse after Baku race
