Max Verstappen has admitted that Red Bull still has work to do after a challenging Miami Grand Prix, where the four-time world champion finished fifth. Despite bringing a heavily upgraded car to the streets of Miami, Verstappen's race was compromised from the very first lap.

"I lost the rear and tried to minimize the time loss," Verstappen explained, reflecting on a spin that forced an early pit stop. "Early on, the hard tire didn't work for us and it was tough. We dropped quite heavily down the pack."

The Dutch driver, who has been chasing his first win of the season, acknowledged that the team has made progress but isn't quite where they need to be. "We've improved a lot this weekend, but still lack a bit and for sure there's more pace to unlock," he said. "Maybe I could've been in the place Oscar finished (third) if we did enough, but it's always easy to say that afterwards."

The race took another dramatic turn when Verstappen's Red Bull teammate, Isack Hadjar, crashed out on lap six. Starting from the back of the grid after a qualifying disqualification, Hadjar hit the barriers in the chicane, triggering a Safety Car that actually benefited Verstappen with a cheap pit stop.

Hadjar was visibly frustrated after the incident. "It was a tough one and for me, obviously, breaking the car is pissing me off a lot. It was easy points today considering the car I had so I feel I just threw it all away." The rookie added, "I can't really remember what happened because it went so very quickly. It felt like it was a big hit and I didn't see it coming. The car was broken and I couldn't stop it. It just shows how much you need to be focused and I wasn't."

For Verstappen, the focus now shifts to unlocking that missing performance. "Unfortunately, we are still lacking a bit, but we'll be better. I don't know how much more pace there is," he concluded, leaving fans and the paddock wondering if Red Bull can turn their season around.