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Red Bull Racing principal Laurent Mekies has opened up on Max Verstappen’s mindset and work ethic, as the team continues its late-season charge in the 2025 Formula 1 championship. The Dutchman has won three of the last four Grands Prix, including last weekend’s dominant run at the United States GP, to close the gap to championship leader Oscar Piastri to just 40 points.Since Mekies replaced Christian Horner in July, Red Bull’s resurgence has been steady and striking. The former Racing Bulls boss has overseen a return to the dominance that defined the team’s 2022 and 2023 campaigns.Under his direction, the RB21’s balance and consistency have improved significantly, a recovery that has put Verstappen and Red Bull back in contention against McLaren, with four rounds and two sprints left.On the latest episode of the 'Securing the Win' podcast, Mekies was asked what it’s been like managing Verstappen in a high-pressure environment. The Frenchman said (17:12):“Starting with Max now, everybody knows Max's achievements. On track, we have seen it... too often as competitors. Everybody knows what he does in the car and how extraordinary that is, and how close he's able to be from the limit lap after lap, race after race, year after year... He sets a benchmark there.”“I think the biggest surprise has been to discover him outside of the car. We don’t get access to that as competitors... but he’s as extraordinary, if not more extraordinary, out of the car than he is in the car. The level of commitment, his deep understanding of the complexity of the team trying to give him the fastest possible car and how to drive that team to what's the right solution for the car is incredible,” he added.McLaren, already crowned constructors’ champions, has shifted its focus to the 2026 regulations, while Red Bull continues to bring updates through the second half of the season. These upgrades, since Monza, have stabilized the RB21’s balance and tire management.The late push, led by Max Verstappen’s feedback and Laurent Mekies’ open communication approach, seems to have re-energized Red Bull’s season. The team sits third in the standings with 331 points, just behind Ferrari (334) and Mercedes (341), in the battle for the second spot in the constructors’ championship.Laurent Mekies praises Max Verstappen’s “unbelievable” effort in US GP winMax Verstappen with the Red Bull Racing team after winning the US GP. Source: GettyMax Verstappen’s weekend at COTA showcased the progress Laurent Mekies talked about. The Dutchman led from pole in Saturday’s Sprint after a Turn 1 collision eliminated both McLarens, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, before converting Sunday’s pole into his 68th career Grand Prix victory.Reflecting on Verstappen’s performance, Mekies highlighted how Red Bull maximized every session under difficult track conditions."This has definitely been our strongest weekend in a long while. On a burning hot track, where we have found it tricky here in the past, Max kept extending the gap to his opponents in every session. If you see how tight it was on Friday, even though he was on pole for the Sprint, and then today, it was a substantial improvement," Mekies said (via F1 official website)."Once again, I want to thank everyone at the track and those back at base, who have been taking risks in terms of pushing everything to the limit. It’s uncomfortable, but the work they are doing is unbelievable and it’s paying off. They have unlocked so much from the car. We never took anything for granted, ultimately finding more and more performance as the weekend progressed," he added.Charles Leclerc’s early charge on soft tires briefly threatened Max Verstappen’s lead. However, his fight with McLaren's Norris for second stretched the Red Bull driver's lead to a six-second advantage that never came under serious challenge.Yuki Tsunoda also impressed, climbing six positions to finish P7 after a steady drive. The Japanese driver’s progress under Mekies’ leadership has been notable, especially with the car’s recent improvements.While Red Bull’s aggressive upgrade strategy could impact the early stages of their 2026 car development, Mekies remains focused on finishing the season strong. The fight for both second in the constructors’ table and Max Verstappen’s title chance is fueling a team-wide push to maintain momentum through Mexico, Brazil, and beyond.
