Mekies Takes Merit Away from Red Bull’s Resurgence, Verstappen Praises Him

Mekies remains humble in the face of Red Bull’s improvement, Verstappen praises his impact

Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies continues to downplay his role in the team’s remarkable performance improvement, something Max Verstappen believes is due to his “excessive modesty”. Since Mekies took over the leadership in July, Red Bull’s performance has experienced a significant change. Verstappen achieved a podium finish at the Dutch Grand Prix after the summer break, followed by consecutive victories in Monza and Baku, and secured second position at the Singapore Grand Prix. After Verstappen’s victory in Monza in September, Mekies avoided taking credit for his impact since taking office. Three races later, his opinion hasn’t changed.

“It’s still zero, guys. It’s still zero,” he told reporters on Sunday night when asked if he would reconsider how much credit he can take now. “And I say that with the same seriousness that I told you after Monza.

Laurent Mekies

Caption: Max Verstappen (left) with Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies (right). Mekies explained that the improvement in performance is due to the collective work to analyze the limitations of the car and how to optimize its potential. He highlighted the importance of Verstappen’s contributions in this process. The change in performance has led to Verstappen being considered a real threat to Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in the fight for the drivers’ title. The current champion is 63 points behind the leader with six races remaining. Verstappen has praised Mekies for his work since taking office. Mekies, with experience in engineering, has brought a more pragmatic approach to the car’s setup, according to Verstappen. Verstappen commented that Mekies is “probably too modest” about it. The pilot highlighted teamwork and the analysis of details as key factors in improving performance.