Laurent Mekies’ honeymoon at the helm of Red Bull Racing in Formula 1 seems to have come to an end. After a promising start leading the team last year, the Frenchman now faces a much more complicated scenario, marked by below-expected results and growing dissatisfaction from Max Verstappen.
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Mekies took over as head of Red Bull in July 2025, replacing Christian Horner. Promoted after his work with Racing Bulls, he led a recovery for the team in the second half of that season, during which Verstappen won the Italian and Azerbaijan GPs and finished the championship just two points behind the champion, Lando Norris of McLaren.
The good performance fueled the team’s optimism for the start of the new regulations cycle in 2026. However, after nine rounds of the current season, the reality is quite different, with Red Bull occupying only fourth place in the constructors’ championship, with 128 points, behind Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren.
Verstappen’s situation also reflects the difficulties faced by the team. The four-time world champion is only in seventh place among the drivers, with 76 points, still without wins and more than 250 points behind the championship leader, Kimi Antonelli.
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During the current season, Verstappen has publicly expressed his frustration with the performance of the RB22. After the Sprint qualifying session in China, the Dutchman described the car as ‘impossible to drive’, while at the British GP he stated that Red Bull ‘is still not where we want to be’, citing deficiencies in corners and power delivery issues.
On the same occasion, Verstappen acknowledged that his expectation was no longer to fight for wins, but rather to battle against rivals coming from behind. During the race at Silverstone, he also showed irritation over the radio complaining about the car’s downshifts.
The credit earned by Mekies with Red Bull’s recovery at the end of 2025 is starting to diminish in light of this season’s results. The upcoming GPs could be decisive in determining whether the team can react, while the manager will still have to handle one of the most delicate topics at the moment, Verstappen’s future at Red Bull Racing.
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