Max Verstappen’s ‘unprecedented’ 12-hour meeting with Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies
· Yahoo Sports
Max Verstappen reportedly called an ‘unprecedented’ meeting with Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies and engineer Gianpiero Lambiase following the Chinese Grand Prix.
Verstappen is said to be considering retirement at the end of the 2026 season, having lost his enjoyment of racing with the new generation of F1 cars. While his issues extend beyond Red Bull’s lack of competitiveness, it remains a concern for the team.
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With a break before the Miami GP, Verstappen sits ninth in the championship on just 12 points. It’s his lowest total at this stage since 2015 when he was still a rookie with Toro Rosso.
Max Verstappen sits down with Laurent Mekies and Gianpiero Lambiase
Right now, Red Bull aren’t anywhere near the front of the pack. They’re sitting behind Haas and tied with Alpine in the constructors’ standings, looking very much like a team stuck in the midfield.
Verstappen could have been in a stronger position if not for his DNF in China while running sixth. ESPN reported that he brought Mekies and Lambiase along with him on his private flight from Shanghai to Nice, which would have given them plenty of time, at least 12 hours, to talk things over.
It was described as an unusual move, but it provided a chance for some honest conversations with key team members about why things haven’t started well for Red Bull.
The break before Miami may come at a good time for Red Bull, who need to reset after their tough start. Verstappen struggled again in Japan, going out in Q2 before battling to eighth place and losing out to Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.
The feeling around Milton Keynes is that Verstappen might reconsider staying longer if they can give him a more competitive car, even though he insists his frustration isn’t just about results.
Why Red Bull’s ‘one-second’ gap to Mercedes might not be what it seems
Both Mekies and his predecessor, Christian Horner, tried to manage expectations ahead of the 2026 season, warning that Red Bull would be debuting their first engine against far more established power unit manufacturers.
But according to reports within the team, there’s a growing belief that their power unit is actually on par with Mercedes. This backs up what Toto Wolff and George Russell had said during pre-season testing.
If that assessment is accurate, the blame for their lack of pace shifts away from the engine and onto the car design. Verstappen has been vocal about drivability issues throughout the season, recently telling his race engineer that it felt worse than ever in China.
The Dutchman believes Red Bull are a second behind Mercedes but says they need to focus on improving performance in the corners rather than straight-line speed if they want to close the gap.
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