Red Bull team principal minimizes speculation about Max Verstappen’s departure, stating he will be ‘more content’ in a competitive F1 vehicle.
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has downplayed the notion that his prominent driver Max Verstappen might leave Formula 1, asserting that the four-time champion will feel significantly more content once he has access to a more competitive vehicle.
Following an eighth-place finish at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, Verstappen acknowledged that he was contemplating his future in the sport, despite having a contract with Red Bull that extends until the conclusion of 2028.
The 28-year-old clarified that his thoughts were not a reaction to Red Bull’s early-season difficulties, but rather stemmed from his disinterest in the current racing dynamics under F1’s new regulations.
“Of course I try to adapt to it, but it’s not enjoyable the way you have to race,” Verstappen remarked. “It’s really anti-driving. Then at one point, yeah, it’s just not what I want to do.”
While Verstappen’s recent comments were not directly addressed to Mekies, who was speaking in the paddock around the same time as his driver, he minimized the idea that the four-time champion would exit F1 at the end of 2026.
“We are having zero discussions about those aspects,” Mekies stated on Sunday evening in Japan. “We have a lot of work ahead, but I am confident that once we provide him with a fast car, he will be a much happier Max.”
“And when we give him a car that he can push and make a difference with, he will also be a happier Max. So, honestly, that’s 100% of our discussions right now, is that.”
“And as per the regulations, as you know, they are introducing some beneficial aspects along with more challenging ones. As a sport, we will convene with the other teams during the break to explore how we can adjust them for improvement.”
Mekies acknowledged that Red Bull had fallen to fourth place overall, trailing Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren, and that the situation appeared more dire as the gap to third place had increased since the season opener in Australia.
“There is nothing to celebrate today, but in terms of the overall gap to the competition, it looked not too different from the Melbourne scenario in terms of one second to the fastest driver, half a second to the best Ferrari. But now, McLaren is at that same level. So, we are a distant fourth. That’s the reality,” he explained.
“And I believe it’s a combination of underlying performance, whether in Melbourne or here. So, we have more work to do. Additionally, we are struggling to extract enough from the package to provide something Max can push with.”
“And I’m not implying that it’s merely a setup issue. I’m just stating that there is something we are grappling with regarding that car that contributes to our underlying performance deficit. Now, addressing these complex issues and understanding intricate limitations is our primary focus.”
“So, as challenging as it feels to be at the back of the top teams right now, that’s precisely what our entire organization is designed to do: to uncover complex limitations like that and resolve them, bringing developments that can alleviate them and enhance performance. It feels difficult now, but I have complete confidence that this is exactly what our team excels at.”
Mekies noted that Verstappen’s frustrations regarding the new regulations were shared by teams and drivers across the grid and would be a priority for the sport to tackle during the month-long interval before the next race in Miami.
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“I mean, if there is one thing we all agree on, I think all teams and the sport, FIA, F1, and the drivers, is that we would all like to see qualifying be as close to flat-out as possible,” he stated. “So, that’s the primary focus for us as a sport.”
“What will happen then is that once you improve or reach a point of having flat-out qualifying, you will automatically have a race with potentially less gaming or the level of gaming in the race that you can probably adjust.”
“There are very different opinions in the pit lane regarding that aspect. However, I believe the most crucial thing is that we get closer to flat-out qualifying, and that’s what we, as a sport, are striving to achieve when we convene.”
“Personally, I think the emphasis should be on how to properly address it for 2027. Because we still have time to make sufficient adjustments if we want to resolve that for 2027 and ensure enough flat-out qualifying in that year. And then I am confident there are several minor adjustments we can implement in 2026.”
Source: espn.com
