Mekies: McLaren is not a Red Bull problem
Laurent Mekies, team principal of Red Bull, commented with satisfaction on Max Verstappen’s victory at the Qatar GP. With this performance, the Dutch driver moved to 12 points behind Lando Norris and 4 points ahead of Oscar Piastri, putting himself fully back in the fight for the Drivers’ Championship. The French manager highlighted that the success was the result of the team’s ability to maximize opportunities during the race.
Mekies: “The MCL39s were faster than us”
The key moment of the victory came with Verstappen’s pit stop under the Safety Car on lap 7. A strategic decision that disrupted the McLaren team, who were favored by race pace, and allowed the multi-time world champion to take the lead. According to Laurent Mekies, that call demonstrates the preparation and quick decision-making of the strategic team, a fundamental factor for the result.
“We can be satisfied with this weekend,” explained Laurent Mekies. “The car’s pace improved consistently from Friday to today. We were able to battle with the McLarens, which were faster than us, and Max drove flawlessly. Tyre management and driver focus were perfect to create a solid gap over the rival cars.”
The team principal also highlighted the contribution of the entire team: “This result shows the value of the team and the ability to extract the maximum from the car. Everyone worked exceptionally well, both at Lusail and in Milton Keynes, providing strategic and technical support to Max. Without this commitment, achieving the victory would have been difficult.”
Verstappen has one task: win!
Mekies emphasized that despite the success, Red Bull cannot control everything: “Our goal is to bring the car into the optimal position for Max to fight for the win. What happens behind him, like the McLarens’ behavior, is not something we can manage, so we focus only on what is in our hands.”
The team principal also highlighted Verstappen’s solid race performance: “After the strategic call, Max made no mistakes. He drove two incredible stints, preserving the tyres and maintaining the pace necessary to distance the McLarens. This allowed him to secure an important victory and reduce the gap in the championship standings.”
Finally, Laurent Mekies spoke about the upcoming Abu Dhabi GP: “We will have to give our best to bring the car into the best possible condition. Max will have only one task: win. Everything else will depend on the choices and performances of others, so our focus remains solely on preparing the car and strategy for the final weekend.”
Leave a Reply