Mekies Acknowledges Red Bull’s Role in Saving Verstappen

Mekies emphasized the responsibility of the team to optimize performance and car setup to support Verstappen’s championship push in the final stages of the 2025 season. While the numbers remain very unfavorable to Verstappen, Red Bull retains a slim hope of reversing the situation between the Sprint and Grand Prix qualifying.

Verstappen’s difficult sprint and bouncing issues

Max Verstappen faced a challenging sprint race, hindered by significant bouncing and understeer problems caused by a set-up mismatch. Mekies and the team have been working to address these issues, understanding that Verstappen must « survive » the sprint while preparing improvements for qualifying and the Sunday race.

« Reigning world champion Max Verstappen fears Saturday’s sprint race in Qatar will be about ‘trying to survive’ after going with the wrong set-up direction on his Red Bull. »

Mekies’ confidence in Red Bull’s resilience

Despite setbacks, Mekies remains optimistic about Verstappen’s ability to challenge for the title. He highlighted how Red Bull has adapted since mid-2024 to improve car performance and communications within the team, crediting Verstappen’s involvement in pushing development. Mekies insists the team will stay focused on maximizing points in Qatar and beyond, acknowledging the sprint and qualifying sessions as pivotal moments.

The critical importance of strategy

With only two races left, Mekies stresses that Red Bull must be « perfect » to keep Verstappen’s title hopes alive against McLaren’s strong package. The team faces pressure to learn from the Qatar sprint experience and deliver a competitive car setup that can exploit any weaknesses of rivals, especially with the championship margin narrow.