Martin Brundle has emerged as one of the most influential voices to back the FIA's mid-season 2026 power-unit rule tweaks after the Miami Grand Prix, and the Sky Sports commentator believes Max Verstappen's first-lap spin and recovery was a moment of vintage genius that was nearly lost in the chaos of Antonelli's third straight win.
The Miami weekend was the first event run under a quietly significant set of regulation tweaks aimed at curbing the so-called "power clipping" that had been ruining wheel-to-wheel battles. For Brundle, who watched the race unfold from the commentary box, the change was immediately visible.
"The technical rule finessing was clearly in the right direction," Brundle said. "Drivers seemed much happier generally, and the cars looked fast and alive."
The former grand prix driver also admitted that the energy-deployment quirks of the 2026 rules still need a clearer narrative for fans, who can find it hard to understand why a leader suddenly drops back at the end of a straight.
"I rather like the wheel-to-wheel action and skill involved in carrying speed better than your rivals," Brundle added, before conceding that "the relatively easily steaming back past" still "needs more understanding."
The most remarkable cameo of the race, in Brundle's view, came on the opening lap when Verstappen looped his Red Bull through 360 degrees at Turn 1 and somehow kept it on the road and pointing the right way. It was a moment that ruined Pierre Gasly's start, but it was also one of the most technically demanding car saves of the season.
"I can't tell you how hard that is in these plus-sized F1 cars full of fuel," Brundle said, describing the way Verstappen layered throttle, brake and steering input through the spin as a piece of pure "genius in the recovery."
The winner did not escape Brundle's microscope. He had predicted Kimi Antonelli would simply "check out" once the Mercedes rookie cleared the lead pack on Lap 4, and the strategic undercut from the pit wall made it formal. Brundle called it a "very well-earned victory" that was "a very timely, great show with a big audience."
The combined picture is one Liberty Media will love. The first weekend with the FIA's emergency tweaks delivered a popular narrative winner in Antonelli, a virtuoso recovery from Verstappen, and a commentary verdict that the new rules can be made to work. With Canada next on a low-energy circuit that will brutally expose any remaining clipping, Brundle's positivity is the first sign that the 2026 regulations may yet be salvaged in real time rather than torn up wholesale.
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*Originally published on [News Formula 1](https://newsformula.one/article/brundle-miami-verstappen-genius-spin-2026-rule-tweaks). Visit for full coverage.*