- Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has praised Max Verstappen’s exceptional technical understanding as a key factor behind the team’s resurgence, following consecutive Grand Prix victories in Malaysia and Singapore.
- Red Bull’s improved performance has propelled Verstappen into the top four of the drivers’ championship, while the team now trails McLaren by just seven points in the constructors’ standings.
- Despite Red Bull concluding its major upgrade programme for 2026, Mekies remains confident the team can continue fighting for victories while using the remaining races to build towards the 2027 season.
Red Bull Racing team principal Laurent Mekies has lauded the technical prowess of Max Verstappen as a driving force behind the Milton Keynes outfit’s remarkable resurgence in the 2026 Formula 1 world championship, following consecutive victories in Malaysia and Singapore.
Having endured a tumultuous start to the new regulatory era, which saw the former world champions languishing behind the likes of Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren – Red Bull have seemingly turned a corner in their pursuit of returning to the front of the grid.
The four-time world champion has been instrumental in this turnaround, with Verstappen claiming his first Grand Prix victory of the season in Malaysia before backing it up with a dominant showing on the streets of Marina Bay.
A weekend which saw the Dutchman claim pole position and victory in both the Sprint and Grand Prix, further vindicating the development direction taken by Red Bull throughout the season.
A stark contrast to the opening rounds of 2026, where the Milton Keynes squad struggled with both reliability and extracting performance from its new RB22 challenger, alongside the monumental undertaking of becoming a power unit manufacturer in partnership with Ford.
Speaking following the Singapore Grand Prix, Mekies was full of praise for Verstappen’s ability to identify the shortcomings of the machinery underneath him, describing the 29-year old’s technical understanding as being amongst the finest in Formula 1.
“His input is massive,” said Mekies.
“His technical sensitivity is outstanding, probably without any equivalent and therefore yes, he has that capability to pinpoint what is limiting performance.”
While Verstappen’s outright speed has rarely been questioned, the Dutchman’s influence behind the scenes has become increasingly significant as Red Bull seeks to rediscover the competitive advantage it enjoyed during the previous generation of regulations.
The team’s continued development throughout 2026 has seen a series of upgrades gradually address the deficiencies of its chassis, while improvements in reliability have allowed Red Bull Ford Powertrains to demonstrate the potential of its maiden Formula 1 power unit.
Though Mekies acknowledged that identifying a problem doesn’t necessarily translate into an immediate solution, the ability to accurately communicate the car’s limitations has been invaluable to the engineering group.
“Unfortunately for us it doesn’t mean that we have a fix for it when he tells us what the problem is, but at least he tells us what the problem is. It’s a massive help for the team.”
The Frenchman also highlighted the transparent relationship established between Verstappen and the team, with the willingness to challenge one another proving crucial to the progress made.
“We do it in a way where we are always very direct and transparent with each other, and constructive even if it comes with emotion sometimes,” Mekies explained.
Such an approach has seemingly paid dividends, with Red Bull having been in contention for victory across the previous three Grands Prix.
Verstappen came agonisingly close to breaking his winless drought in Azerbaijan, before finally returning to the top step in Malaysia. His subsequent Singapore triumph, at a circuit historically regarded as one of Red Bull’s more challenging venues, further underlined the strides made by the team.
It has also propelled Verstappen into the top four of the drivers’ championship, while Red Bull now sit just seven-points behind McLaren in the battle for third in the constructors’ standings.
An extraordinary turnaround considering the deficit the Milton Keynes squad faced earlier in the campaign, when even consistently challenging for podiums appeared a difficult proposition.
However, Mekies remains cautious about declaring that Red Bull have definitively returned to the forefront of Formula 1.
The contrasting characteristics of Baku, Sepang and Marina Bay have provided encouragement that the RB22 is becoming a more versatile package, though the Frenchman acknowledged that the competitive order has fluctuated significantly throughout the season.
Mercedes enjoyed a dominant opening phase of the championship, while McLaren too have experienced periods of success followed by weekends where extracting performance has proven more challenging.
For Red Bull, the challenge now is maintaining the momentum established over recent rounds without further substantial upgrades planned for the remainder of 2026.
“If you do so, we think we can fight for wins,” Mekies said of the team’s ability to maximise its package.
“There is another element, which is that we have completed our update programme for this year. So, this pecking order could well very rapidly change if some or many of our competitors bring upgrades.”
With attention already shifting towards 2027, the decision to conclude major development of the RB22 could leave Red Bull vulnerable should its rivals introduce further improvements.
However, the significance of the progress achieved this season extends beyond the remaining races, particularly as the team continues to develop its in-house power unit operation.
Having assumed leadership of Red Bull midway through 2025 following the departure of Christian Horner, Mekies has overseen another remarkable recovery for the former championship-winning outfit.
Red Bull’s decision to continue developing its 2025 machinery deep into the season, as Verstappen mounted an ultimately unsuccessful title challenge against Lando Norris, had also compromised its preparations for the sweeping regulation changes introduced this year.
Though the investment in understanding the limitations of its machinery has arguably laid the foundations for another resurgence, with the Dutchman’s feedback remaining central to that process.
“There will be no other substantial upgrade to the car,” Mekies confirmed.
“Now, don’t get me wrong, it does not mean that we will not continue to push very hard to improve, continue to push very hard to use every remaining race to learn for this year and to learn for next year.”
And while the championship aspirations of Red Bull and Verstappen may have been curtailed by their difficult start to 2026, the recent run of form provides plenty of optimism heading into the next campaign.
Especially for an organisation which has faced significant upheaval both on and off the circuit over the previous two seasons, as well as the challenge of establishing itself as a fully fledged power unit manufacturer.
Whether Red Bull can sustain its winning momentum without further upgrades remains to be seen, though the combination of Verstappen’s technical acumen and the team’s renewed development direction has demonstrated that the Milton Keynes squad remains a formidable force.
A timely reminder too, that even in an era where the complexities of Formula 1 machinery continue to grow, the contribution of the driver extends well beyond simply extracting the final tenths of performance on track.
