Focus turns to Miami this weekend with intense attention on Max Verstappen after his revelation a month ago that he's considering his future in Formula 1. The four-time world champion has been vocal in his criticism of F1's new 2026 regulations, which have fundamentally changed driving and racing, while Red Bull have been unable to fight at the front of the field. During the five-week gap between Japan and Miami, the sport has already tweaked power unit regulations to address drivers' concerns including Verstappen's.

The engineer's planned departure adds another layer to the uncertainty. Gianpiero Lambiase, Verstappen’s race engineer for over a decade, will join McLaren by 2028 at the latest after surprisingly turning down the opportunity to move earlier. Verstappen previously stated after winning his maiden 2021 world title that he would stop racing in F1 if Lambiase was not his engineer. Red Bull maintain Lambiase will stay until the end of 2027, but McLaren are pushing to sign him sooner.

Red Bull arrive in Miami with major upgrades as they attempt to bridge a significant deficit to Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren. In Japan, Verstappen finished 32 seconds behind race-winner Kimi Antonelli, though the gap would likely have exceeded a minute without a mid-race Safety Car. The team's aerodynamics and chassis are the current weaknesses despite a competitive Red Bull Ford power unit. Verstappen will face questions about his future during Thursday's media day in Miami, and the performance of the upgraded car this weekend could prove decisive in his thinking.