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Mekies credits Verstappen’s feedback for Red Bull’s resurgence

Conceptual AI-generated editorial motorsport illustration; not a documentary photograph or evidence that a pictured event, meeting or transfer occurred. · 2026-10-12GPBeat newsroom · News Made Clear generated illustration

The team principal says Verstappen has helped Red Bull pinpoint what limits the car, while stressing that diagnosis alone does not guarantee a fix.

From the GPBeat newsroomPublished · · 1 min

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies says Max Verstappen’s technical input has played a major part in the team’s 2026 turnaround by helping it identify what limits the car’s performance.

“His input is massive,” Mekies said after the Singapore Grand Prix. He added that identifying a problem does not mean Red Bull already has a fix.

Mekies said Verstappen’s understanding of the car’s performance helped inform the direction of Red Bull’s upgrades, which have been key to the team’s progress.

Red Bull has closed to within seven points of McLaren in the fight for third in the Teams’ Championship. Verstappen won in Malaysia and Singapore in succession, and at Marina Bay converted pole into victories in both the Sprint and Grand Prix.

Mekies said Red Bull had completed its 2026 update programme and would not bring another substantial upgrade that year. He warned that the competitive order could change rapidly if rivals introduce upgrades. The team will keep pushing to improve and use the remaining races to learn for 2027.

Sources 01
  1. PRIMARY SOURCEMekies hails ‘outstanding’ Verstappen in Red Bull resurgenceFormula 1