Laurent Mekies started this year his first full season as team principal of Red Bull. The Frenchman took over from Christian Horner halfway through last season, after his sudden resignation. While Red Bull managed to launch a new title challenge with late upgrades last year, the team rarely made a stand against the competition in 2026, leading to great frustrations for Max Verstappen. Ahead of the summer break, Mekies takes stock.
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During the Hungarian GP, the last race before the summer recess, Verstappen impressively finished second. However, that result gives a distorted picture of Red Bull’s current competitiveness. Both over the radio and in the press sessions afterwards, the four-time world champion complained bitterly about the feeling in the cockpit. Isack Hadjar, who moved up to the main team after his rookie season, also did not hesitate to strongly criticize the RB22.
Only Norris was faster than Verstappen
“I think we have not succeeded in giving Max (Verstappen, ed.) and Isack (Hadjar, ed.) a car with which they could really attack,” Mekies admitted to the media. “Looking back at the feedback in Spa and Austria, they both indicated that the car was reasonably close to how it should feel. In Hungary, that was absolutely not the case, especially not on Friday and Saturday.”
“Nevertheless, it was a difficult race for everyone,” he continued. “Honestly, I think only Lando (Norris, ed.) was faster than Max today.” The reigning world champion ultimately won the Hungarian Grand Prix with a lead of over fifteen seconds. “That is a positive signal,” Mekies emphasized. “It shows that there is still room for improvement in our package. We need to find out why we are always operating so close to the limit regarding the balance and performance of the car. Both the drivers and the team have had to work very hard in recent races to get the car within the right operating window.”
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Red Bull has already made up ground
“Of course, we come here to win races,” the Frenchman stated upfront. “But at the same time, I want to express my appreciation for the chassis and engine team. Bringing back a deficit of 1.2 seconds to three tenths is a huge achievement, especially given the current level of competition. We know where we come from, also considering last year’s late surge and the development of the brand-new power unit. Still, we have made clear steps with both the chassis and the engine. This is thanks to the more than two thousand people behind the scenes who have implemented small improvements day in and day out. As a result, we are now competing for the podium in almost every race again.”
With that message, Mekies looks forward to the summer break with confidence. “It gives the whole team the chance to recharge the batteries for the second half of the season, in which we hopefully can take another step. The first half of the season was a rollercoaster ride, but thanks to the hard work and dedication of everyone in the factory, we are clearly moving in the right direction. In the past four races, we have consistently fought for podium places and significantly reduced the gap to our competitors. Everyone in Milton Keynes is working tirelessly to take the next step towards victories. We can’t wait to get back into the fight after the summer break.”
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