Max Verstappen believes Red Bull had the pace to fight for pole position at the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix, but traffic during his decisive Q3 lap prevented him from completing what he considered a potentially pole-winning effort. After a difficult Friday, the team made substantial progress with the RB22, although team principal Laurent Mekies has acknowledged that persistent race start problems remain a significant concern heading into Sunday’s Grand Prix.
The improvement in Red Bull’s competitiveness was one of the most encouraging developments of qualifying, with the car performing considerably better than it had during the opening day of the weekend. However, the team’s preparations for the race remain complicated by questions over its launch performance, alongside the demanding conditions that Mexico City’s altitude creates for power units, chassis and tyre management.
Max Verstappen convinced Red Bull had Mexico GP pole position pace
Red Bull emerged from Mexico City Grand Prix qualifying believing it had missed an important opportunity. Following a difficult Friday, the team significantly improved the behaviour of the RB22, allowing Max Verstappen to return to contention at the front of the field.
However, the four-time Formula 1 world champion believes the final result did not reflect the car’s true potential during the decisive moments of the session.
“We had the pace to fight for pole position,” Verstappen insisted. “My final lap was definitely good enough for pole, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to complete it.”
The decisive incident occurred in the final sector, where the Dutchman caught a slower car driven by Lando Norris. Verstappen explained that the presence of the McLaren ahead of him disrupted his usual braking references, forcing him to approach Turn 13 on a different line from the one he had intended.
“When I arrived at Turn 12, I found a slow car in front of me and lost time because of the dirty air. Then I saw it move to the right, exactly where you wouldn’t want it to be. I reached the next corner on a different line and couldn’t see my braking reference. When you’re on the limit in qualifying, it only takes a small thing to cause a lock-up.”
Despite his frustration, Verstappen chose not to turn the incident into a controversy, instead focusing on the progress Red Bull had made throughout the session.
“In free practice, the grip was terrible, but it kept improving throughout qualifying. We weren’t happy with the car, but then we managed to make it much better when it mattered.”
Laurent Mekies praises Red Bull recovery after difficult Friday
The recovery in performance was the most encouraging aspect of Red Bull’s Saturday in Mexico. Laurent Mekies highlighted the work carried out by the team to bring the RB22 back into its optimal operating window after an opening day during which the drivers had struggled with the car’s balance.
“It was a very good reaction compared to yesterday. The whole team worked together to achieve a significant improvement. We had the pace to fight at the front, and Max was the fastest on track until the moment he encountered traffic. It’s a shame to have missed this opportunity.”
The team principal placed the setback within the wider context of a Formula 1 season characterised by extremely small performance differences between the leading teams.
According to Mekies, four teams can arrive at any Grand Prix with realistic chances of victory. However, missing the ideal operating window by even a small margin can make the difference between having a dominant car and one that fails to finish on the podium.
That challenge becomes even more complicated at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, where the high altitude creates particularly demanding conditions for the power unit, chassis and tyre management. Similar concerns have also been highlighted by Ferrari, with Fred Vasseur warning about the cooling and grip difficulties at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Laurent Mekies admits Red Bull race start problems remain a major weakness
Looking ahead to the race, Red Bull must confront an issue that Laurent Mekies made no attempt to hide: its difficulties with race starts. The problem has emerged on several occasions during the 2026 Formula 1 season and could prove particularly costly in Mexico, where drivers face a long acceleration zone between the starting grid and the first braking point.
“It has been one of our weaknesses, and I’m not going to deny it,” Mekies admitted. “It’s frustrating for the drivers, and the whole team is working extremely hard to improve. It’s something that involves practically every department in the company: engine, gearbox, clutch, tyres and control systems.”
The Red Bull team principal also pointed out that 2026 marks the team’s first season competing with an internally developed power unit, a major technical project that inevitably involves a learning process.
“We still have a lot to learn, and we’re learning quickly. When the car becomes more competitive and you start from the front rows, any disadvantage compared with your rivals becomes even more obvious. We’re experimenting and taking risks. It’s not always pleasant for Max and Isack, but everyone is working to close the gap as quickly as possible.”
Mekies’ explanation makes clear that Red Bull’s starting difficulties cannot automatically be attributed to a single component. Getting the car off the line effectively depends on the interaction of several systems, and the team is still working to optimise how they function together.
For Verstappen, these weaknesses add another challenge to a weekend in which the team has already experienced fluctuating competitiveness. Red Bull also encountered difficulties at the previous round, when the Dutchman discussed engine problems following his Austin podium finish.
Max Verstappen warns of engine temperatures and overheating in Mexico GP
Beyond his concerns about the start, Max Verstappen believes the race presents another major uncertainty: how the Red Bull power unit will behave in the particularly high temperatures that could arise when running in traffic.
“We know everything is going to be very hot,” the Dutchman explained. “The main question will be understanding how the engine reacts when it’s operating at very high temperatures. These are conditions in which we haven’t had many opportunities to run, but I think everyone will be in the same situation.”
The difficulty of following another car closely adds to the challenge. Verstappen identified overheating as one of the main obstacles to overtaking at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, making it especially important to secure a strong position through the opening corners.
Although the long run towards the first corner can create opportunities for drivers starting behind the leaders, the four-time world champion remains convinced that pole position offers a clear advantage at this circuit.
“Here, I would always prefer to start at the front. If you make a good start, you can normally manage the situation. The problem is when you find yourself behind, because the temperatures make it very difficult to follow another car.”
The concerns surrounding engine temperatures are particularly relevant given the demanding conditions expected in Mexico. For Red Bull, managing these limitations while attempting to recover positions could become one of the defining aspects of the Grand Prix.
Red Bull targets Mexico GP recovery despite qualifying disappointment
Red Bull now faces a race in which it must attempt to capitalise on its regained competitiveness without the starting position the team had hoped to secure during qualifying. The improvements to the RB22 have provided encouragement, but converting that progress into a strong race result will require the team to overcome several challenges.
Laurent Mekies refused to make firm predictions about Max Verstappen’s chances of recovering positions, although he made clear that Red Bull intends to remain aggressive in its approach.
“We’ll try to put pressure on our rivals and take advantage of every opportunity. It will be a long race, extremely demanding for the chassis, the power units and tyre management.”
Red Bull’s task will therefore involve balancing its improved pace against the unresolved difficulties at race starts and the thermal demands of the Mexican circuit. After an encouraging qualifying recovery, the team must now demonstrate whether those gains can translate into a competitive race performance.
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