Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies remains optimistic after qualifying for the Australian GP, despite Max Verstappen’s crash. At the same time, Isack Hadjar secured a third-place spot for Sunday’s race in Australia during his Red Bull debut. “Verstappen’s crash happened very suddenly,” says Mekies.
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Max Verstappen crashed into the tire wall during Q1. The rear end slid away entering the first corner. “We still need to investigate it. It was a bit too sudden. We are going to analyze it and we will fully understand it, I am sure of that,” Mekies says in the paddock.
The most important thing for Mekies is that Verstappen is okay. “It’s a shame. We were obviously a bit worried when we saw him get out of the car, but he is fine. That is the best news. We will take up the fight with both cars on Sunday,” says the Frenchman.
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‘Starting point’
On the other hand, the Red Bull team principal sees a positive result, as Isack Hadjar qualified in the top three. “I am super happy with his performance. It is a starting point, and what a starting point. During the winter, he worked hard to adapt to the team and the car as quickly as possible. Hadjar deserves this result after all his work this winter.”
There is still much for the Austrian team to learn about the new cars, but Mekies sees it as a good learning curve. “Nothing is perfect. It is a steep learning curve regarding driving, the power unit, and the chassis. It’s the same for everyone,” Mekies concludes.
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