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Laurent Mekies at Web Summit in Lisbon on 11 November 2025. Archive photo. Resized and converted to WebP.

Mekies welcomes prospect of difficult Red Bull driver calls

Archive photograph: Laurent Mekies at Web Summit in Lisbon on 11 November 2025. Archive photo. Resized and converted to WebP. · 2025-11-11Archive photo · 2025-11-11 · Alex Broadway / Web Summit / Sportsfile · CC BY 4.0

Red Bull’s team principal says a future need to make difficult calls between Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar would be a sign of strength.

From the GPBeat newsroomPublished · · 1 min

Laurent Mekies says Red Bull would welcome a situation in which it has to make difficult decisions between Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar. Speaking to Sky F1 in remarks reported by RacingNews365 on 2 October, the team principal said such a choice would mean Red Bull was in a strong position.

Mekies said both drivers had worked towards the best team result at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. When Hadjar was following Verstappen, Red Bull did not instruct Verstappen to let him through. Verstappen finished second and Hadjar third.

Mekies also praised Hadjar’s race pace and racecraft after a six-week absence. His comments about difficult decisions concerned possible future races, rather than an instruction given in Azerbaijan.

Sources 01
  1. SOURCERed Bull reveal 'wish' that would make Max Verstappen uncomfortableRacingNews365 English · Source date as found: 2026-10-02
Source context

RacingNews365’s 2 October report relays Mekies’s remarks to Sky F1 and provides the account of the Azerbaijan race.