Minardi has other reason for Norris win: 'Verstappen didn't want to risk'

It is well known that things are not very smooth internally at Red Bull Racing at the moment. There is reportedly a power struggle going on between team principal Christian Horner and Helmut Marko. Gian Carlo Minardi, founder of the Minardi Formula One team, also sees that there is no longer internal peace at the Austrian team.

In Miami, McLaren made a big move with upgrades, defeating Red Bull on track for the first time in 2024. Lando Norris ran out ahead of Max Verstappen, only to take his first victory in Formula 1.

Minardi therefore sees that McLaren has made a move. He does hope that another team will hitch a ride on McLaren's move, telling Minardi's website, "We are now waiting for a reaction from Ferrari. In Miami they already introduced some updates [is not correct, Ferrari did not bring any updates] in anticipation of the important package expected in Imola."

Internal calm Red Bull gone

The internal turmoil within Red Bull is not ideal. Minardi therefore stresses, "Red Bull remains the car that other teams will be looking at, even though the team seems to have lost the calm that distinguished last seasons. This is due to the well-known internal problems. Verstappen, the man who took pole position twice in Miami, managed to win the sprint race and finished second in the race, remains the reference point [for the other teams]. I think that's what the Dutchman wanted to be satisfied with the result without taking big risks in the process."

This article was written in collaboration with Kada Sarkozi.