Mercedes extended their unbeaten start to 2026 in Miami, but the weekend made clear the rest of the field has gained ground after a concentrated, upgrade-heavy break. Kimi Antonelli’s win in the Grand Prix pushed Mercedes to four wins from four, yet McLaren’s pole and Sprint victory, Red Bull’s clearer improvement and flashes of Ferrari pace mean the hierarchy looks tighter than it did before Miami.
A surprisingly large development wave arrived in Miami. The FIA’s weekend log recorded 64 new parts across the 11-team grid, 27 of which were introduced by the so-called big four. Mercedes brought only two small items, holding back a larger package for Canada; McLaren and Red Bull each fitted seven updates, while Ferrari led the weekend with 11 new parts. Numbers alone don’t tell the whole story, but the upgrade cycle had an immediate effect on competitiveness.
On Friday McLaren interrupted Mercedes’ clean sheet: Lando Norris took the first non-Mercedes pole of the season and then won the Sprint, with team-mate Oscar Piastri completing a one-two in that session. Antonelli was fourth on the road in the Sprint (later penalised), and George Russell struggled on a circuit that didn’t suit him. Mercedes worked on set-up and energy deployment after the Sprint, and Antonelli produced a strong Q3 lap to snatch pole from Max Verstappen. He then converted that into the Grand Prix win, chased by a hard-charging Norris; Piastri finished third but around 27 seconds behind, and the remainder of the field crossed the line more than 40 seconds off the winner.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella argued the upgrades reshaped the competitive picture and credited precise execution for the single-lap gains his team showed. He also accepted Mercedes still retain ‘‘a couple of tenths’’ advantage in race pace, suggesting Mercedes’ weaker Sprint had been down to setup and exploitation rather than rivals definitively leapfrogging them. Mercedes themselves admitted to early energy-deployment and setup struggles in Miami, but their race pace reaffirmed them as the benchmark. Team principal Toto Wolff cautioned that upgrade gains cannot be taken for granted: parts must prove themselves on track and development is constrained by the cost cap.
Ferrari brought the most hardware to Miami but failed to put a car on the podium in either Sprint or Grand Prix—an outcome they have not experienced this season. Team principal Frederic Vasseur said the package worked in clean air and starts were strong, but the team lost performance when its cars were running in traffic. Charles Leclerc’s weekend was complicated by a spin and, on the final lap, a penalty for cutting corners, underlining the inconsistency Ferrari must now diagnose.
Red Bull described Miami as a meaningful step forward. After earlier rounds qualifying well off the pace, the RB22 closed in substantially—around six tenths off pole in Friday qualifying and within two tenths on Saturday—despite Verstappen suffering an opening-lap spin that compromised his result. Sporting director Laurent Mekies said the upgrade and reliability fixes unlocked lap time and signalled progress, even if the RB22’s ceiling remains to be fully revealed.
An important technical subplot is the ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) mechanism for internal-combustion engines. Manufacturers judged to be down on ICE performance can earn development chances: those 2–4% behind the benchmark receive one opportunity, and those more than 4% behind get two. The FIA plans ICE reviews at three points this season (after rounds six, 12 and 18), and teams will learn whether they qualify for ADUO following those assessments. Ferrari hopes to use ADUO to improve straight-line power if eligible; Red Bull are unlikely to be eligible and so will focus on chassis and aero gains.
Looking ahead to the Canadian Grand Prix (May 22–24), the development battle will continue. McLaren intends to bring a second phase of its Miami upgrades to Montreal, while Mercedes has targeted that venue for a larger aerodynamic package aimed at producing more downforce. Red Bull has not disclosed detailed short-term upgrades but their trajectory in Miami suggests they can fight for podiums in Montreal. With teams having more factory time before Canada, expect further refinements and another wave of parts across the grid.
Bottom line: Mercedes remain the benchmark—particularly in race pace and high-speed corners—but Miami showed McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull are closing the gap. The championship will likely be shaped by how effectively teams develop and introduce upgrades within cost-cap constraints; the next few races should clarify which squads can turn updates into consistent on-track gains.