Red Bull have been buoyed ahead of the F1 Miami Grand Prix by a predic♊tion that they are🦂 closer to McLaren than it seems.

McLaren’s 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Oscar Piastri has won consecutive grands prix in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia to climb to the summit of the drivers’ standings, overhauling teammate 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Lando Norris.

However, Max Verstappen caught the eye last time out inꦿ Saudi Arabia e🅰ven if he went home angrily.

Verstappen brilliantly earned pole position to deliver a reminder to his McLa🌠ren rivals what he can produce over one lap.

A time penalty, for ꩲa scuffle with Piastri, thwarted Verstappen in the grand prix but he proved able to, at le𝐆ast, contend with F1’s other top drivers.

David Coulthard says Red Bull are 'on the cusp'

David Coulthard now insists that Red Bull are not so far from McLaren, whose ful🐼l potential is often obvious from the first laps of a grand prix weekend.

“I think everyone is surprised just how close Red Bull was to McLaren’s pace,” Coulthard told Channel 4.

“When you looked at Friday’s free practice, everybody was going ‘my🌼 goodness, McLaren are even faster tan we thought…’

“Whatever they ar༒e doing early on a grand prix to work out how to maximise the car’s potential, they are showing their pace.

“It isn’t then being realised when they get to the grand ꦑprix.

“Red Bull are on🥂 the cusp of an upgrade bringing themඣ back into play.”

Coulthard’s colleague Billy Monger added:𒊎 “Every time we think it’s swinging one wa♏y - Piastri, for example, comes out swinging in the past few races and grabs the championship contention back into his favour.”

Although Piastri had a brilliant𒊎 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to remember, going home as the championship leader for the f♑irst time ever, his teammate Norris flailed.

Norris crashed in qualifying and coul🎶d only s🐟alvage P4 from the race.

Therefore Verstappen finishing as runner-up to Piastri - and Red Bull insisting he would have won🐻 without the time penalty - is notable as the title battle intensifies.

Versta🧸ppen’s future with Red Bull is potentially at stake.

He batted away questions about whether he would quit Red Bull due the declining competitiveness of t꧙heir car.

Aston Martin and M🌃ercedes were also forced to swat away suggestions that they might sign Verstappen for 20🌜26.

Next weekend’s F1 Miami Grand Prix is a return to where Norris𓄧 won last year, to add intrigue to his drivers’ title battle with Verstappen.

This time it is Verstap🎶pen entering Miami needing to add a fresh complexion to the top of the championship.