Mekies credits Verstappen with a key role in Red Bull's turnaround

Max Verstappen’s feedback has helped Red Bull identify where development can produce the biggest gains in lap time, team principal Laurent Mekies says. He describes the driver as essential to the work on the RB22.

Red Bull began the 2026 season with performance below the level needed to win. A series of updates, with the Baku package as its high point, turned the RB22 back into a race-winning car. Verstappen won in Malaysia and Singapore, and Mekies credits his input as a major part of that progress.

Mekies told Viaplay that there are millions of possible improvements across the chassis and power unit. Verstappen helps the team identify which ones have the greatest effect on lap time, he said, particularly under the new regulations and as Red Bull builds its own power unit for the first time.

Mekies also stressed that Red Bull is not taking its progress for granted. The last major upgrade had come three races earlier, he said, and things could still change before the season ended.