Verstappen Lauds Mekies: Key to Red Bull’s Success in Monza

Verstappen and Marko Attribute Monza Victory to Strategic Change at Red Bull

Max Verstappen and Helmut Marko have highlighted the change in approach at Red Bull, attributing the dominant victory at the Italian Grand Prix to a new car setup strategy. This change was implemented under the supervision of the new boss, Laurent Mekies. Verstappen, after securing pole position, dominated the race at Monza, surpassing the McLarens by almost 20 seconds, the largest difference of the season. This victory marked a milestone, being Red Bull’s first without the direction of Christian Horner, who was replaced by Mekies at the end of July. The result, along with Verstappen’s podium finish at the Dutch Grand Prix, showed a notable improvement after the summer break.

So far, we’ve had many races where we were testing different car setups

Max Verstappen

Verstappen has pointed out that the team has adopted a clearer approach to maximize the car’s performance. Changes in the setup used to be extreme, indicating a lack of control and understanding. With Mekies, who has experience in engineering, more direct questions are being asked of the engineers, which has resulted in a better understanding and direction. Verstappen felt the benefits in Zandvoort, and the improvement continued in Monza. Although fundamental changes in Formula 1 cars don’t happen overnight, the improvements in the current Red Bull started under Horner’s direction.

Red Bull advisor Marko acknowledged that there were no major changes in the car’s upgrade plan. However, he highlighted that the team is extracting better performance from the car. Marko explained that the weekend preparation is different now, with Mekies combining simulation data with the experience of Verstappen and the race engineers. The goal is to create a more predictable and manageable car.

Essentially, it’s the same product we had before, but with some improvements that are working

Helmut Marko

Verstappen’s victory was the third of the season and the first since the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in May. Although he was initially considered out of the fight for the title, he is now in third position, 96 points behind the championship leader, Oscar Piastri.