Max Verstappen didn’t manage to clinch the 2025 World Championship, but he came very close. The Dutch driver was 104 points behind the leader after the Dutch Grand Prix and had endured a European season marked by several poor results in Spain, Austria, and Hungary.
However, the second-place finish at Zandvoort, three races after Christian Horner was replaced by Laurent Mekies as team principal, marked a turning point in the championship. From round 15 onward, Max Verstappen and Red Bull seemed to shift into a higher gear. Small but consistent upgrades allowed Verstappen to regain his form and launch a comeback that put McLaren and reigning world champion Lando Norris under serious pressure.
Laurent Mekies: “We fought hard while respecting our rivals”
According to Autosport.com, the French manager was asked to briefly comment on the near-miraculous performance and reflect on his role in the team’s work. Red Bull’s performance had dipped under Horner, particularly before his dismissal following the British Grand Prix. Laurent Mekies said: “I can’t say whether Red Bull was at its limit or not. We fought very hard, fairly and cleanly. We pushed to the edge in this battle between giants, always respecting our competitors.”
“We are involved in an extremely competitive sport, and we believe that to fight at the top, you also have to enjoy what you do. The spirit of Red Bull is to work hard and have fun at the same time. We focused completely on the championship without paying too much attention to what was happening around us, simply doing what we love,” Laurent Mekies concluded, carefully avoiding taking personal credit for the team’s strong second-half performance.
As the off-season begins, Red Bull’s near-impossible fightback serves as a reminder that in Formula 1, writing off Max Verstappen and the Bulls is never a safe bet—especially with Laurent Mekies steering the ship into an exciting new era.
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