Laurent Mekies reflected on Red Bull’s determination not to give up on the chances of winning the 2025 Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship with Max Verstappen, despite the large deficit in the standings.
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The executive took over as team principal from Christian Horner starting in July last year, when the Dutchman was 104 points behind then-leader Oscar Piastri and 70 points behind Lando Norris, right after the Dutch GP.
In the final stretch of the championship, he then won six of the nine GPs and finished the year just one point behind the British champion. Milton Keynes refused to give up the chances and shift focus to 2026, with the Frenchman emphasizing that the factory has a mentality that would not allow such an attitude.
“The year has been a rollercoaster. I won’t lie: it has been, above all, an incredible privilege to be part of the team. Looking back at my arrival last year, those first weeks now even seem unreal, I remember trying to get to know our amazing team as quickly as possible: fantastic people both in the chassis area and in the power unit. There was a huge effort to reverse the situation after a difficult start to the 2025 season,” he told Racer.
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“I remember very well how Pierre [Waché] and the team refused to give up; they did not accept the lack of performance of the previous year’s car. They would have every reason in the world to turn the page, with the new 2026 regulations coming, the new engine on the way, and a new boss in charge. They would be completely justified in saying: ‘You know what? This car isn’t working. We’ll fix it next year,’” he continued.
“But no one wanted to do that. And, little by little, but firmly, they found a new ideal balance point for the car, new developments, and new paths. And, combined with a touch of magic from Max, that provided our recovery,” he concluded.
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