Max Verstappen has been playing a decisive role in Formula 1 beyond the tracks, according to Red Bull Racing itself. Team principal Laurent Mekies highlighted the four-time champion’s ability to lead the team and drive collective performance, pointing to this characteristic as an important factor for the team.
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The French executive, who took command of the team after replacing Christian Horner before the 2025 Belgian GP, stated he is impressed with how Verstappen mobilizes team members. For Mekies, the Dutchman’s influence goes beyond speed and is directly reflected in the technical work.
When questioned about Verstappen’s leadership role, Mekies highlighted that he still doesn’t know if this skill is conscious or natural: “I still don’t know if it’s a conscious or unconscious skill, but he has a natural way of gathering people around him to understand what is important to him in the car and where, according to him, the greatest untapped lap time potential lies,” he stated.
The Red Bull boss also highlighted the impact of the analyses made by Verstappen after the sessions. According to Mekies, the driver is aware that his observations reach not only the engineers present, but the entire team connected at the factory: “He knows that when he speaks in a team ‘debriefing’, he doesn’t just have the thirty engineers in the room, but also everyone who is connected at the factory in Milton Keynes. He has this natural way of taking everyone with him and making people give 101%”.
For Mekies, this ability sets Verstappen apart from other drivers: “One thing is to be fast in the car. Another is, outside of it, to be able to get your team to do their best to understand and resolve the limitations,” he said.
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The Frenchman also highlighted the driver’s posture right after getting out of the car, regardless of the result obtained in a race: “It’s easy to say that in a quiet room, but he manages to do it minutes after driving, whether after a qualifying session or a race, with a good or bad result. The level of discipline and the coolness in the feedback are impressive,” he added.
Mekies also highlighted the consistency of the Dutch driver’s behavior. According to him, Verstappen maintains the same approach regardless of the result: “If you are in a ‘debriefing’ after a session, you won’t be able to tell by his tone of voice whether it was a victory or a retirement you want to forget,” the team principal concluded.
With this stance, Verstappen reinforces his role within Red Bull Racing, not only as a reference on the track but also as a leader who helps direct the team’s work in Formula 1.
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