Red Bull boss confident team can deliver faster car to Verstappen

Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies is confident the team can deliver a faster car to Max Verstappen for the remainder of the season, despite the reigning champion's current frustrations and the team's worst competitive start in years. Verstappen has gone three consecutive races without a top-five finish for the first time since 2017, with the car's unpredictable balance and system limitations making races a struggle.

Why it matters:

Verstappen's public dissatisfaction and the car's lack of pace represent a dramatic fall from grace for a team that dominated the sport for four consecutive years. The current situation tests the team's ability to rapidly diagnose and solve complex aerodynamic and chassis issues under the new 2026 regulations, with their response potentially defining their medium-term future in the championship fight.

The details:

• Mekies stated the team needs the current break to analyze data and simulate solutions, aiming to bring improvements for the Miami Grand Prix in early May, though he cautioned against expecting "miracles."
• The core issue appears to be aerodynamic, with Mekies noting the car loses performance in "certain cornering speed and cornering conditions." He estimates the current gap to the fastest cars is about one second.
• Verstappen has been vocal about his struggles, calling the car's balance "unpredictable" and criticizing the battery deployment regulations, which he says limit racing and overtaking.
• Despite Verstappen's broader frustrations with F1's direction, Mekies confirmed there have been "zero discussions" about the driver's future, focusing instead on fixing the car.
• The team's difficulties are compounded by poor reliability, as seen with Verstappen's coolant failure in China, and ongoing issues with race starts.

What's next:

All eyes are on the Miami Grand Prix to see if Red Bull can make the promised step forward. The team's immediate goal is not to close the entire performance gap but to deliver a car where the drivers can push consistently and accurately measure their deficit. The upcoming break provides critical time for analysis, but the true test will come on the track in May, where lap times will reveal if Red Bull is moving in the right direction to salvage its season.